Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence.

Hear the words of the sage of motivation, Denis Waitley, who declared: “Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence. The extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning.” These words are not spoken lightly, but forged in the furnace of human struggle, drawn from the eternal pattern of toil, failure, renewal, and triumph. For he teaches us that greatness is not the fruit of talent alone, nor the gift of fortune, but the crown won by those who endure when others surrender.

Drive is the fire within, the restless hunger that pushes a man beyond comfort into the realm of challenge. Without drive, one may dream but never act, may plan but never move. Persistence is the companion of drive, the iron in the soul that refuses to yield, even when the path grows hard and the night grows long. Together, drive and persistence form the chariot that carries one to success. And the secret Waitley reveals is this: the difference between defeat and victory is often only one more attempt, one more approach, one more step when the world says stop.

History sings with examples of this truth. Consider Thomas Edison, who failed hundreds of times in his quest to invent the electric light. Each failure could have been his end, each setback an excuse to quit. Yet his drive burned like a flame, and his persistence never wavered. When asked about his failures, he replied that he had not failed but found thousands of ways that did not work. It was that “extra energy” to try again that gave the world a light that banished darkness. His life is proof that persistence is the true architect of triumph.

Or think upon the journey of Abraham Lincoln, who knew loss after loss—business failures, election defeats, the death of loved ones—yet he pressed on. He was not the most gifted or the most fortunate, but he was the most persistent. At last, he rose to the highest office of the land, guiding his nation through its greatest trial. Without his relentless spirit, history itself would have been written differently. His life bears witness to Waitley’s teaching: that one more effort, one more approach, can alter the destiny of nations.

The meaning is plain: success is not promised to the swift or the strong alone, but to those who refuse to stop when the world pushes against them. Many begin with passion, but few endure with persistence. Talent without drive grows idle, and knowledge without persistence remains unrealized. But he who carries the flame of effort past the point of weariness, he who finds the strength to rise again after defeat, shall unlock the gates of victory.

The lesson for us is both sobering and inspiring. Do not imagine that life will hand you greatness swiftly. Know instead that the path will be strewn with obstacles, disappointments, and failures. But let each failure be fuel, let each setback strengthen your resolve. When you grow weary, summon the “extra energy” to press on. For often, the breakthrough is not miles away, but just beyond the next effort.

Practical actions stand before you. Set clear goals, and let your drive be anchored in vision, not vanity. When you stumble, do not waste time in despair, but rise swiftly to try again. Learn to see each obstacle not as a wall but as a teacher, guiding you to “another approach.” And above all, cultivate the habit of persistence: small daily steps, repeated without fail, until the mountain itself yields.

Thus let the teaching of Denis Waitley be carved into the hearts of generations: success belongs not to the gifted alone, nor the fortunate, but to the driven and the persistent. The secret of winning lies in that final effort, that last attempt, that refusal to yield. Take this wisdom, live it, and you too shall find that triumph bends to those who never cease to rise.