Will the road ahead be smooth? Will there be any adversity on the way? The truth that you have not achieved anything till now confirms the fact that challenges are meant to come. The difference between the successful person and the one stalked by failure is not the adversity – everybody has that. Then, what is the difference? The difference is your response – your attitude to the challenges you meet on your way. You response will show if you Do You Really Want it? or you are just playing around.

Do you re-group and hit it hard again, or do you just lay it down and quit? Many people have made a u-turn when their success is actually around the corner. Most successful people have at least one experience of failure but they just don’t give us. They learn from every failure and bounce back. Even if they have told you several times that you are not qualified for that job, this is not the end. It just means you need to develop yourself further and equip yourself with relevant skills.

Calvin Coolidge said,

“Nothing in the 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.“

Failure is never an end. It should be seen as a bend towards another destination. Setbacks should be seen as the foundations upon which you can build future success and not the final excuse for failure. Most people who are working on their ideas get discouraged when they are faced with some challenges or one form of failure. When you fail is not the time to become discouraged. It is the time to use the obstacle as a stepping stone. Don’t give in to discouragement, opposition and / or obstacles. Be persistent.

The dictionary defines persistence as: to continue firmly or obstinately. Persistence is a state of mind. In the words of Thomas Edison,

“Just because something does not do what you planned it to do does not mean it is useless…. Reverses should be an incentive to great accomplishment. Results? Why, man, I have gotten lots of results! If I find 10,000 ways something won’t work, I haven’t failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is just one more step forward…. There are no rules here; we are just trying to accomplish something.”

It is therefore normal for someone to have obstacles before success. Even the dictionary puts the word obstacle before success. Obstacles are there to strengthen you and offer progressive measurement of your growing strength. Discouragement sets in when you misunderstand the purpose of obstacles. Persistence is a conscious decision. So, train yourself to be persistent and focus on the big picture.