“Nothing in the world can take the place of perseverance.”

“Nothing in the world can take the place of perseverance.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.”

As a young teen, I know many people thought I would not succeed in life. I even read the magazines that shared statistics of how “un-bright” my future looked. These people and the “accredited news magazines” relied on “facts,” some of which included: being raised in a single-parent home (my dad left when I was eight months old), being in a small town, and being in “poverty” (while other people had more money, I dare you to find a house equal in love). These sources relied on statistics, I relied on heart. The first time I read that quote, I remember deciding it needed to be polished and dusted. I carefully cleaned it, reading it a second time, and then gave it a more prominent position in the break room. I read that quote many times over during every break I had. While I may not have been raised with every advantage in the world, I was taught the biggest advantage of all: Nothing in the world can take the place of perseverance.

Are there any areas of your life where you think “you can’t” because statistically you don’t have the best odds? How would embracing the idea “Nothing in the world can take the place of perseverance” change your actions and possibly your results?

Nothing in the world can take the place of perseverance. I persevere.