Persistence will beat talent and education any day of the week

“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. The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” Calvin Coolidge

Talent is great if you have it, but not the end of the world if you don’t. No amount of talent will get you to the stars if you don’t have the will, the persistence, to keep trying.

Education will open doors for you, but persistence and determination will open the vault for you. Talent and education will tell you which doors to open. Persistence and determination will make you open the next door, and the one after it and the next one, till you reach your star.

Talent and education will get you to the middle class. Persistence and determination will get you to the next level. Education, talent, persistence and determination will get you into the one percent and beyond. Look at those around you. The ones who rely on education and talent alone are easy to spot. They are the ones who give up at the first sign of defeat.

All of us know successful people who are less talented, less educated, and not as smart as others, or as we are, yet they are successful. They don’t give up. They do not accept defeat. They keep trying, one failure after another until they succeed.

If you want to succeed, if you want to reach the stars, keep trying, no matter how many times you fail. Keep the slogan ‘Press On’ rubber stamped in your head. When things look bleakest is when the weak quit, and when you must try even harder.