Perseverance

"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it." -Maya Angelou
 

Sometimes, we just need a reminder of who we are and what we are really capable of accomplishing in this life. Truthfully, we don't really find out what we can endure until we have to endure the unthinkable. We are stronger than we think.  We have grit. We have strength. We have steadfastness. We have perseverance.

The Press

We use a lot of olive oil in my house. We use it to cook. We use it in our hair. We use it medicinally as a carrier oil for other essential oils. We love olive oil. In order to extract the oil from the olive, the olives are ground into a paste. The paste is transferred to metal plates and pressed. The press separates the oil from the other contents of the olive. Many times in our lives we find ourselves being separated from people and things we love. We might not understand it. It might be uncomfortable, but there is a purpose. The press helps to produce what's inside of us. The press extracts what's most valuable. What is your oil? Is it that business you want to launch? Is it that book you want to write? Is it that trip you've always wanted to take? There is oil on the inside of you that needs to be pressed. There is something valuable on the inside of you that needs to be produced. Submit to the press...what's inside of you is worth it.