If you want something, go for it. Giving up should not be an option because only by going forward will you succeed.
Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the most influential musicians, showed his musical talent when he was small yet he had hearing problem and was almost totally deaf in his 30s. Despite his hearing issue, he didn’t give up composing and some of the most admired works came from this period.
Many people say Thomas Edison was a genius, but do you know that he made a thousand unsuccessful attempts at inventing the lightbulb? A reporter asked him how he felt to fail 1,000 times and he answered, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The lightbulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”
J.K. Rowling got two As and a B in her A-levels and finished her bachelor degree in French and Classics at University of Exeter. She’s very educated but her manuscript of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was rejected by 12 publishers. The rejections didn’t stop Rowling from pursuing her dream. She finally found a publishing house to publish it a year later.
What’s the one thing that made them successful? Persistence.
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” – Calvin Coolidge
We don’t need to fight a dragon in real life, but we do have our own battles to fight. In order to win any battle in life, you need to let your persistence and patience take in charge. It may take time to defeat a battle, but as long as you don’t give up, you will finally gain victory.
CALVIN COOLIDGE: Never give up | ZEN PENCILS