Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will

The sage George A. Sheehan, a man who saw in running the mirror of the human soul, once proclaimed: “Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.” In these words lies not merely a definition of success, but a revelation of destiny itself. The ancients would have understood his message well, for they too believed that every soul is born with a calling—a flame within the heart that must be guarded, nourished, and brought to light. To become the person you were meant to be is the noblest quest of all, greater than the conquest of kingdoms or the accumulation of wealth.

The path to that becoming is not paved with ease. It demands courage, that divine strength which allows one to face uncertainty without surrender. For it is a fearful thing to look into one’s soul and admit that the life one lives is smaller than the life one is capable of. Many turn away from that truth; they find comfort in conformity, in the approval of others, in the safety of mediocrity. But those who are truly alive, those who burn with purpose, must rise and confront themselves. Courage is the first step toward selfhood—it is the breaking of chains invisible to the eye but heavy upon the spirit.

Yet courage alone does not sustain the journey. Determination must join it, as the steady heartbeat of the warrior’s soul. Determination is not the roar of a single moment, but the quiet persistence that endures through doubt, through fatigue, through the storms of failure. Consider the life of Helen Keller, born blind and deaf, cut off from the world of sight and sound. Many would have surrendered to silence—but she did not. Through relentless will and the guiding hand of her teacher, she learned to speak, to write, to inspire. Her determination transformed what could have been a life of darkness into one of illumination for millions. Her success was not in what she gained, but in who she became—a living testament to Sheehan’s words.

To this, add the power of will, that inner fire that transforms thought into deed. Will is the divine instrument through which dreams are shaped into reality. It is the unseen force that moves mountains within the soul. The ancients taught that will is the spark of the gods dwelling in mortal hearts. When a person aligns their will with their purpose, they become unstoppable, for they are no longer driven by ambition alone, but by destiny. The one who lives by will does not drift upon the tides of chance; they steer their ship toward the horizon their spirit has chosen, even through the fiercest storms.

But know this, my children: to become who you were meant to be is not the same as becoming what the world expects you to be. The world offers applause for conformity and comfort for surrender, but the soul demands authenticity. The Roman general Marcus Aurelius, surrounded by power and temptation, wrote in his solitude, “Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” He understood that true success is inward—it is the victory of the self over fear, over laziness, over the endless distractions of the crowd.

This teaching, though ancient in spirit, remains ever new. Success is not the crown placed upon one’s head by others, but the quiet knowing that you have not betrayed your potential. It is waking each morning and walking toward your purpose, even when no one watches, even when no one praises you. It is living in harmony with the image your soul has shown you—the person you were always meant to be. To fail in that is to live half-asleep; to strive for it, even imperfectly, is to live with honor.

So let this be your path: Seek courage to face your truth. Forge determination to continue when the road grows hard. Summon will to shape your destiny with your own hands. Each act of effort, each refusal to give up, brings you closer to the self you were destined to become. And when your final days come, you will look upon your life not with regret, but with peace, knowing that you did not merely exist—you became.

Thus remember: success is not a prize bestowed, but a journey endured. Be faithful to the vision that calls you from within, for it is the voice of your higher self, your truest nature. Live bravely, work steadfastly, and will mightily—and in doing so, you will fulfill the timeless command written in every human heart: Become who you were meant to be.