Confidence in a word

As someone who would consider herself a writer I often go through lists of favorites.


For example:


My favorite form of punctuation is the semi-colon, because it does more than a normal period or colon can. In fact it does both of their jobs simultaneously.

My favorite literary device is an asyndeton.


My favorite genre has gone from fantasy to fiction to utopia to classical literature.


But my favorite word has almost always been consistiant: perseverance.


perseverance |ˌpərsəˈvi(ə)rəns|noun1 steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success (dictionary.com)
Perseverance, for me, packs a mighty punch. 
It is literary conviction.
To press forward
To continue in the darkest of times
To never lose hope.
It is a word I feel we can all relate to because sometimes things that we do not want to happen in fact do happen and yet the world keeps spinning.
No one can stop time. No matter how we all wish we could at some point in our lives. 
In fact, Shakespeare's villains are characterized by their desire to control time. 
MacBeth, instead of patiently waiting for his time to rule kills the king for his throne, thereby attempting to take the nature of time into his own spotted hands.
But I wonder how much attention he paid to the word perseverance. Was it just a means to reach his end? 
I think that if he had really thought of its meaning his fate would have been different. 
Because Perseverance is not a word that can truly describe an outward battle for power, but more of an inward battle for courage and hope in times of uncertainty. 
Someone once said: 

"Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength."

And that is true perseverance. It is done not to gain some finite wealth or power. But to gain confidence in yourself.

 I can't help but love this word, because I can't help but need this word, this courage, this perseverance.