I think I was born strong-willed. That's not the kind of thing

Joan Jett, the fierce spirit of rock and defiance, once declared: “I think I was born strong-willed. That’s not the kind of thing you can learn. The advantage is, you stick to what you believe in and rarely get pushed out of what you want to do.” In these words shines the fire of one who has walked against the current, who has endured the weight of doubt and the sneer of opposition, yet never abandoned the truth of her own voice. She speaks of the power of the strong will, that inner flame not taught by schools nor bestowed by chance, but carried within the soul as birthright.

The ancients also spoke of this mysterious gift. In the legends of Achilles, we see the strong will burning like a flame that refused to yield, even when the gods themselves warned him of fate. In the chronicles of Rome, Cato the Younger stood defiant against Caesar, unbending in principle even at the cost of his life. Such souls were unyielding, not because it was taught to them, but because the marrow of their being was set like iron. Joan Jett, in her own age, echoes this truth—that the will, once formed in strength, stands against the tempests of the world.

To be strong-willed is not arrogance, though the weak may call it so. It is the refusal to betray one’s convictions. It is the shield that protects against the pressure of conformity, the anchor that holds fast when others drift with every wind. Many dreamers begin with fire, but when the voices of doubt rise, they yield and are scattered. The strong-willed do not. They remain steadfast, even when mocked, even when alone. This is the advantage of which Jett speaks: to cling to one’s purpose until the world, at last, makes room for it.

Consider her own story. In the early years, as a woman in the rough world of rock music, she was told again and again that she would fail, that her place was not upon the stage but in silence. She carried her records door to door, rejected by twenty-three labels, mocked for her audacity. Yet her will refused to bend. She formed her own label, released her music, and carved a place in history. Her song “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll” became an anthem for generations, not because she was welcomed, but because she refused to yield. Her will was her fortress, and from it she conquered.

This truth echoes in history as well. Think of Winston Churchill, who stood firm in the darkest days of World War II. When voices urged surrender to overwhelming force, he declared instead that Britain would never yield. It was his will, forged in defiance, that rallied a nation to endure. Though bombs fell and fire consumed cities, the spirit of a strong-willed leader became the shield of millions. Such is the power of the will that does not break—it carries not only the self, but entire nations through despair.

Yet, let us be clear: to be strong-willed is not to be blind or stubborn without wisdom. It is not the prideful refusal to learn. Rather, it is the steady grip upon one’s values, one’s calling, one’s deepest truth. It means listening to counsel, but not abandoning one’s compass. It means facing hardship, yet holding the course. To be strong-willed is to say: “I may bend to grow, but I will not break to please.”

The lesson for us is profound: nurture within yourself the spirit that clings to what is true. When the world presses you to abandon your path, remember the advantage of will: it keeps you steady when others fall. Without conviction, no dream survives. With conviction, even the weakest may endure storms that destroy the mighty. Joan Jett’s words remind us that the will is not something to be borrowed from others—it must arise from within, fierce and unyielding.

Practical action follows: Discover what you believe in most deeply—your art, your principles, your calling—and resolve never to abandon it at the whisper of doubt. When opposition comes, let it sharpen your resolve rather than weaken it. Write down your convictions, remind yourself daily of your purpose, and build your life around them. For as Joan Jett declares, the strong-willed are not easily pushed away from their path. Let your will be your fortress, your compass, and your crown. In it lies the strength to live as you are truly meant to be.