Don’t give up. Even when life gets in the way. Even when every little thing seems to interrupt your ability to make it happen. Don’t give up.

Don’t give up. Even when it seems to get really hard, and it feels like you have failed.

And failed.

And failed again.

Because you succeed the second you decide to make the conscious choice to not see them as failures, but to see them as steps in your journey to success. When you see them as lessons, when you take those so-called-failures and figure out a way to make your next attempt greater, and better, and stronger. Because, if it weren’t for Edison’s 10,000 innovative attempts, we would still be sitting in the dark.

“I have never failed, I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” –Thomas Edison

And don’t be afraid to change your definition of success- not lower your bar- but change your definition. What assumptions have you been working off of? Where is your energy level? What impact are you having on the people you love most? What impact do you want to have on them? How can you close that gap?

So much of the time the goal we set off to achieve ends up not even being what we desire, or need. Santiago, in The Alchemist, originally sets off on a quest for a worldly treasure, yet, during his journey ends up leaving that aspiration in pursuit of his new dream, living out his Personal Legend. Without the interactions with the individuals he meets, without the experiences he collects, Santiago would have continued to the end of his journey, successful of his original intent, but empty of the true meaning and significance he learned through listening to his spirit.

Each step you take on your quest leads you in directions that potentially is unimaginable to you in your current state. And that is ok.

But regardless of the process, regardless of the outcome, regardless of the struggle, regardless of the change, don’t give up. Because you are there as a role model for others. You inspire and motivate me, and many others like me, to put forth our best effort, to struggle, to fall, to put our heart and soul into discovering our personal journey to our own success.

So thank you. Thank you for not giving up. Thank you for positively impacting those around you and consciously making the choice to lead. To grow. To never give up.