We all have setbacks. No one is ever really an overnight success. The recognition may come overnight, but that is merely the acknowledgment, not the accomplishment. For some reason, the press loves to present us with fairy tales, and ignores the years of struggle people go through before they make it to the top.
We hear about the huge success of Lady Gaga's first album, but not the years she struggled on the lower east side trying to find a look and sound that sold. She has many detractors, but she had one goal: to be a success in the music industry. She continually reinvented herself until she reached her goal.
The difference between success and failure is perseverance. As long as you are still trying, you have not failed - you've succeeded in finding out what doesn't work. Oddly, stubbornness seems to be more important than ability, talent, intellect, or education. The world is full of educated failures. Winners never quit, they keep moving forward.
Napoleon Hill described it as a burning desire. When you're so focused on your goal that failure is not an option, that's when the magic happens. There's no room for half measures. You have to be committed. There are many methods to reach your goal, but none of them will help you if you choose to fail.
There's a poem I have always admired, which covers this quite nicely. The author is unknown. Here it is:
Don't Quit!
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
when the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but do not quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victors cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
Its when things seem worst that you must not quit.
That's the attitude that cannot fail.
Have a great day and a better tomorrow!
