Looking for a word

This morning I am looking for one word that means stick-to-it-ness. Is that even a word?

Years ago my very negative minded mother accused me of not having this quality. If she had  possessed a little more positive sight herself she would have seen how wrong she was. One of the things I am known for, even by those who do not particularly like me, is my ability to stick to what I say I am going to do.

What is a word  for this quality?

Purpose, dedication, loyalty, determination, faith, belief and passion are all possibilities. How about authenticity? What you see is what you get- like it or not.

Many of you know that I have dealt with physical pain due to a freak accident. Several months ago I gave up on traditional treatments and decided to trust my guidance to heal the problem myself. For the most part my approach has worked well. While exercising yesterday I pulled a muscle which caused me to seriously cut back on movement for the remainder of the day.

The experience brought back memories of the months of excruciating pain I had previously lived through. It was better this morning so I set out to continue my usual morning routine of exercise at our family center, thinking if it started hurting I would just stop. I was also keeping a quote in mind that I heard yesterday which was, "there are seven days in a week and someday isn't one of them". Or as my dear grandmother would have put it, "don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today". Thank you Nana!

As I was approaching the center I noticed a man that I had seen many times before walking down the street. What makes him stand out is he has an amputated leg and he walks with crutches in all kinds of weather. My thought was, "if he can do it what is my excuse?"

So I did exercise this morning and the effort made me happy with myself.

I began thinking about the people who at one time or another had walked with me at the center and have now dropped out. They once had a purpose and now they find excuses. I, on the other hand, am still doing what I set out to do several years ago because I know my body thanks me for my actions and I am grateful that I am basically healthy.

Perhaps the best word for stick-to-it-ness is authenticity after all. As long as I see positive benefits you can bet I am going to continue with my purpose.