I've learnt that you need to have a thick skin, lots of patience

Vaani Kapoor, an artist who has walked the path of scrutiny and labor, once spoke with the clarity of lived truth: “I’ve learnt that you need to have a thick skin, lots of patience and be consistently good.” These words, though brief, carry the wisdom of centuries, for they capture the essence of survival and triumph in any field where the eyes of the world judge harshly. They are not the words of one untouched by trial, but of one who has stood amidst storms of criticism, rejection, and fleeting applause, and yet endured.

The first virtue she names is a thick skin. To walk in the light of public life, or in any path where envy and judgment abound, is to be pierced by arrows of doubt and mockery. Without resilience, the spirit shatters; but with a thick skin, the heart learns to endure. This is not the hardness of pride, but the armor of self-belief — the refusal to let cruelty define one’s worth. The ancients taught that the oak survives storms not because it feels no wind, but because its roots hold strong. So too must the soul root itself deeply to withstand the gales of criticism.

The second virtue is patience. Kapoor acknowledges that the journey is long, often filled with silence before recognition, labor before reward. In every craft, whether art, leadership, or invention, greatness is not achieved in haste. Just as the sculptor chips away at marble for months before form emerges, so too must the seeker of excellence endure long seasons of obscurity and waiting. Patience is not passive — it is the active endurance of hardship without surrender.

The third virtue she names is to be consistently good. A single burst of brilliance is not enough, for the world quickly forgets. True mastery is proven by repetition, by the steady offering of one’s best even when unseen, even when weary. History remembers not only the great works of genius, but the consistency that built them. Shakespeare wrote not one play but many; Michelangelo painted not one figure but whole ceilings; Gandhi’s march was not a single step but countless ones taken with unwavering resolve. Consistency is the seal of greatness.

Consider the story of Abraham Lincoln. Before becoming president of the United States, he faced defeat after defeat — in business, in elections, in personal trials. Yet he endured with a thick skin, refusing to let rejection break him. He carried patience, continuing his work through decades of setbacks. And when at last he rose, he proved himself consistently good in his devotion to justice and unity. His greatness was not the gift of fortune, but the fruit of these very virtues that Kapoor names.

The meaning of her words is therefore universal. Whether in art, in work, or in life itself, all who seek to endure must carry these three companions: resilience against cruelty, patience against delay, and consistency against the temptation of idleness. Without them, even the most talented will falter. With them, even the ordinary may achieve greatness.

Therefore, let the listener act: when wounded by words, strengthen your heart with a thick skin. When discouraged by delay, endure with patience. When tempted to slacken, strive to remain consistently good, offering your best each day. For as Vaani Kapoor has spoken, these are not merely virtues for survival, but the foundations of triumph. And in holding to them, you will endure beyond storms and leave a mark that time cannot erase.