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Consistency Can Leave
Positivity and Hope in its Wake
Sherry Cash, 
District 1 Director
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but is a habit," said the Greek philosopher, Aristotle. This sentiment is only part of the puzzle, though.
Everyone is consistent in some way. Even those who balk at routine and schedules are, in effect, consistently inconsistent. In fact, for some - perhaps even Aristotle himself - consistent inconsistency can lead to some of the most profound thoughts, beautiful artwork, or the best novels. The real power of consistency - whatever that happens to look like to each of us on a personal level - lies in the fruit it yields.
What does that mean, exactly? Well, it means that consistency can be a good thing or a bad thing. Consistency doesn't simply lead to excellence by default. Are we consistently complaining? Do our habits break others down, or send out ripples of repeated negativity? Are we consistently tearing ourselves down? Do we routinely back away from challenges, give up when the going gets tough, or cower in the face of adversity? Are we miserable in our work, and often vocal about it?
If one is negative, cruel, ungrateful, insensitive, apathetic, weak, or self-depreciating, then no amount of consistency is going to produce results which resemble anything that looks like excellence. The manifestations of such consistency may be powerful, but still worthless. And even worse, because they're usually harmful.
In contrast, if we strive to make a habit of kindness, humility, courage, ingenuity, gratitude, optimism, and the kind of actions which build others up, consistency produces an entirely different kind of momentum - one which leaves positivity and hope in its wake.
In order to be a beacon for girls and women in our communities, it is essential that our consistencies be such that they serve to highlight our strength, our courage, our tenacity, our love, our humility, and our desire to express gratitude.
We cannot empower anyone if we fail to lead them. And to lead, we must be sure our own brand of consistency manifests an example worth following.
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