Today, Yvonne Young is sharing with us about perseverance.I first connected with her after I found her blog.  I had  posted about standing tall and was looking for others who had done the same. I can relate to her and am excited she has decided to participate in this series.  So glad I connected with her :) Thanks Yvonne! You should check out her blog after you read her interview.

Yvonne describes herself as a:

Fun, tall, happy lady who works in telecommunications during the day, public relations by night and "Who's that tall lady" blog. Married, no kids yet, but they will be tall, as both my hubbie and I are over 6 feet tall. I love music - have been known to be a Beatles fanatic. Love driving, love cooking new and delicious food, love my family. Read Yvonne's interview below!

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received? Who did you receive it from?

So many come to mind... But I will narrow it down to this one because it's very applicable to our blogging personas. I got this advice from an instructor in a recent course I took. "When you take care of your network, your network will work for you." He meant business network, but it can obviously also mean your support network, friend network, or fellow blogger network. I think it boils to putting yourself out there, helping others, and without even realizing what you've done, you have put yourself out there and people and the universe will respond in a positive way.

How important is mentorship in terms of your success?

Very. It's so important to have a two-way relationship with someone who can guide your success and provide insights and experience. I haven't had "a" mentor; I consider many people mentors, although to be honest, I am looking for someone in my field to be my defined mentor as I think it will be crucial to my future success.

What has been the best moment in your life so far?

Hard to say, life is full of so many important moments. In recent memory, the moment I realized I could go back to school and do the certificate program I wanted to do, when previously I didn't think it was going to be possible.

What tips would you have for living a healthy life?

Be present. Be honest with yourself. Care about what you put into your body. Find ways to do what you love - even if you can't change your job right away, volunteer and get involved if it is career-related.

How do you motivate yourself to persist despite setbacks?

Talk it out with people, get advice, get my bearings, maybe cry a little, and then take the next step.

What has been your biggest setback? How did you deal with it? What did you learn from it?

For a long time, my biggest setback was my confidence. People see right through you when your confidence is low, and they don't trust you or give you opportunities that you are after. I can't pinpoint exactly when this changed, because it was more of an evolutionary process for me rather than something that changed in an instant.

How do you deal with critics?

Part irrationality ("What the hell do they know!?!") part insecurity ("If they're thinking that, others must be too...") but then mostly reason and taking an honest look at it. ("Ok, so that's their perspective. Is there truth to it?) It either turns into advice, or something I just end up shaking off.

How important is social support in overcoming obstacles?

Depends on the type of obstacle; but for the most part, I'd  say necessary.

What advice would you give others about goal setting?

I think a lot of people don't set goals because they think, what if it changes? But that's totally fine. Goals can change, but you have to be on a path to somewhere to find alternative paths anyway. It is never a waste of time to set goals.

What life lesson have you learned that you would like to pass along to others?

It's cliche, but having a positive outlook as much as possible helps you get through a lot of tough stuff, and people are drawn to happy positive people with a good attitude. We bring so much of what happens to us in life to ourselves and how we deal with it will determine if we are going to spiral down or climb out of those tough moments.

Thanks, Yvonne, for sharing your thoughts on perseverance with us! Keep Standing Tall :)

Thank you for reading and your presence at this beach retreat. You Rock! I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts in the comment section below.

See you at the beach!