Success is all about persistence and doing the right thing for

Hear, O children of endurance, the voice of Bruce Rauner, who declared: “Success is all about persistence and doing the right thing for the long term.” These words are not mere advice but a law of life, written in the sweat of toil and the patience of years. For true success is not the fruit of haste, nor the spoil of luck, but the harvest of steady hands that sow rightly, season after season, waiting for the time appointed.

The first pillar of this teaching is persistence. To persist is to rise after every fall, to keep walking when the road grows long, to water the seed though the ground looks barren. Without persistence, talent fades, dreams wither, and even the strongest stumble. It is persistence that wears down mountains, persistence that polishes rough stones into jewels, persistence that turns small deeds into legacies. The ancients likened it to a drop of water that, falling day after day, hollows even the hardest rock.

Yet persistence alone is not enough, says the sage. The second pillar is doing the right thing—choosing justice over ease, truth over deceit, and integrity over the fleeting gain. For many persist in folly and reap only ruin. But to persist in what is good, what uplifts, what endures—that is the path to true success. The farmer who works hard yet sows in barren soil gains nothing; but he who labors with wisdom and plants rightly shall reap in abundance.

Consider the life of Abraham Lincoln. He knew failure in business, loss in elections, and deep sorrow in his heart. Yet he did not yield. Through persistence, he rose again and again. But it was not persistence alone that crowned him—it was his steadfast resolve to do the right thing, even when the path was hard. In the long term, his choice to fight for unity and freedom transformed a nation, and his name endures as a monument to Rauner’s truth.

History shows us also the folly of ignoring this law. There were rulers who clung to power with persistence but abandoned righteousness. Their empires crumbled, for persistence without justice builds on sand. Nero’s Rome, mighty in force but rotten in spirit, did not last. In contrast, leaders who joined persistence with integrity, like Marcus Aurelius, left legacies that still inspire hearts centuries later.

Mark this wisdom well: the long term is the true test of all endeavors. Many shine brightly for a moment and then vanish, like sparks in the wind. But what is built with persistence and righteousness endures like stone. The pyramids, the cathedrals, the great works of art and literature—all testify to this truth. Their makers did not labor for the applause of a day, but for the blessing of ages. So too must we shape our lives with the long view, seeking not fleeting gain but lasting worth.

The lesson is plain: if you would succeed, be both steadfast and righteous. Do not be dismayed by slow progress; keep pressing forward. Do not be lured by shortcuts or false rewards; anchor yourself in what is good and true. For in the weaving of persistence with integrity, time itself becomes your ally, and the long years will prove your strength.

Practical wisdom calls you to action: begin today with small acts of perseverance. Rise when you fall. Work with patience, even when unseen. Align your steps with what is right, not merely what is easy. Think not of tomorrow only, but of years and generations. In doing so, you shall embody the truth of Rauner’s words: that success belongs to those who endure, who act rightly, and who walk faithfully through the long road of time.