I WILL PERSIST UNTIL I SUCCEED

By: Salman Saga

Educator and artist at Department of Education

I was not delivered unto this World in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins. I will hear not
those who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious. The slaughterhouse of failure is
not my destiny.

The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning; and it is not given to me
to know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal. Failure I may still encounter at
the thousandth step, yet success hides behind the next bend in the road. Never will I know how
close it lies unless I turn the corner.

I will be likened to the rain drop which washes away the mountain, the ant that devours a tiger,
the star which brightens the earth, and the slave who builds a pyramid. I will build my castle one
brick at a time for I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking. I will
persist until I succeed.

I will never consider defeat and I will remove from my vocabulary such words and phrases as
quit, cannot, unable, impossible, out of the question, improbable, failure, unworkable, hopeless,
and retreat. I will avoid despair but if this disease of the mind should infect me then I will work
on in despair. I will toil and I will endure.

I will remember the ancient law of averages and I will bend it to my good. Each frown I meet
only prepares me for the smile to come. Each misfortune I encounter I will carry in it the seed of
tomorrow’s good luck. I must have the night to appreciate the day. I must fail often to succeed
only once. I will persist until I succeed.

Never will I allow any day to end with a failure. Thus I will plant the seed of tomorrow’s success
and gain an insurmountable advance over those who cease their labor at a prescribed time. When
others cease their struggle, then mine will begin, and my harvest will be full.

Nor will I allow yesterday’s success to lull me into today’s complacency, for this is the greatest
foundation of failure. I will forget the happenings of the day that is gone, whether they were
good or bad, and greet the new sun with confidence that this will be the best day of my life.

So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist? For I know one of the greatest principles
of success – if I persist long enough, I will win.

I will persist! I will win!

 Queen Elizabeth I:
Speech to the Troops at Tilbury (1588)

My loving people,
We have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety to take heed how
we commit ourselves to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery. But I assure you, I
do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people.

Let tyrants fear. I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed
my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my
subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my
recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to
live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and
my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust.

I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and
stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or
Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm: to
which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I
myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the
field.

I know already, for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns; and
we do assure you on a word of a prince, they shall be duly paid. In the meantime,
my lieutenant general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a
more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general,
by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a
famous victory over these enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people.