Navigating Perseverance: Reflections from a Rainy Week of Showing Up Anyway

By Laura Brodie – Adventures in Albinism / The Teacher´s Compass

Last week, after hosting some teacher roundtables, I sat in my home office feeling a bit… discouraged.

Fewer teachers showed up than I had anticipated (cue- check expectations).
And the tech misbehaved (again).

The next day, it rained a proper England-style rain. I must have brought it back with me from my recent trip.

Usually I like the rain, but this day it just felt heavy and gray.

Sitting with that disappointment taught me something important, something I needed to learn before moving forward. I felt it shaping me in that wet and soggy morning.

And that, strangely enough, is what perseverance actually looks like.

What Perseverance Really Is (and Isn’t)

Perseverance is continuing a task or purpose despite obstacles, discouragement, or fatigue.
It’s the courage to stay on course even when motivation decides to pack a small backpack and disappear for a few days.

• When underused, we falter and stutter to a halt.

• When overused, we burn out and give in to the very natural human need to rest and recover.

• But when perseverance is in balance, we can accomplish anything as we face what might seem like inconveniences in the moment, but are really situations that are there to help us become stronger individuals and, in turn, better members of society.
  
  

Progress, even slow progress, still counts.
Progress, not perfection, is what builds perseverance.

Perseverance Through the Lens of Navigation

This week in the MIND Compass™Framework, the focus is on Navigation- the ability to notice where we are, adjust our course, and move forward with intention.

And wow… perseverance and navigation are a perfect pair.

Because perseverance isn’t stubbornness.
It isn’t pushing through at all costs.
It’s noticing when you’re disappointed, discouraged, or off track, and steering yourself back toward what matters.

My disappointment after the roundtables wasn’t a sign to quit.
It was a sign to pivot.
Listening to the teachers who attended made something very clear, and that small navigational insight will shape the next phase of The Teacher’s Compass.

That's perseverance in motion —
not force,
but awareness + adjustment.

The Rain, the Mood, and the Softness of Gratitude

Sitting on my terrace with my feelings in the rain also reminded me of gratitude. The grounded kind that says helped me say:

“Thank you, disappointment and frustration, for showing me I can keep going even with you sitting in the room.”

Gratitude helps soften the edges of hard moments.
It helps us see meaning beneath fatigue.
It helps us remember our WHY:

To make the emotional well-being for people with albinism a topic of conversation because it matters.

And it does.

Why Perseverance Matters for People with Albinism

Truth be told, many everyday things are simply harder when you live with albinism.

• Things take longer.
  
  

• Bright lights drain your energy.
  
  

• Crowded spaces require more concentration.
  
  

• Tasks that seem simple for others may require extra effort or planning.
  
  

This means perseverance isn’t just a nice-to-have trait. It’s a survival skill.
It’s how we keep moving forward, one thoughtful step at a time.

And when things feel overwhelming or discouraging, navigating back to purpose becomes even more essential.

And here we are. If we want a meaningful life, we have to get out there and find purpose. After all, it's not going to come knocking on our door, unlike disappointment and frustration who just pop on over unannounced.

For Teachers: What Perseverance Looks Like in Students with Albinism

Teachers, this part is for you.

Your students with albinism may be working three times as hard to complete the same task as their peers. Their perseverance may not show as speed or confidence. It shows as:

• Trying again when the text is blurry
  
  

• Adjusting their seating again and again
  
  

• Staying focused when the visual environment is overstimulating
  
  

• Asking for help even when it feels uncomfortable
  
  

• Returning to a task after frustration
  
  

• Navigating embarrassment or self-consciousness
  
  

Invitation:
Notice it. Name it. Celebrate it.

And for yourself?

Recognize the perseverance you show daily in supporting them, adapting lessons, and learning new strategies.

It matters more than you know.

Reflection

• When do you keep going, even when you want to throw in the towel?
  
  

• Where do you pivot instead of quit?
  
  

• What small moment of perseverance can you celebrate?
  
  

• What does frustration teach you about what’s next?
  
  

• Who supported your perseverance, and who can you support in return?
  
  

Celebrate the small moments.