One of my favorite quotes is: “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

I have continually been driven to accomplish my professional and personal goals, which has allowed me to further grow in those areas of my life.

Take initiative.

You need to take ownership for your work. If you don’t, who else will? And if you don’t, someone else might end up cleaning up the mess that happens when you don’t follow through. Stick by your word. Even if that means spending more time on it, losing sleep over it, or moving things around to make sure it is done right.

Be confident in what you know.

Become an expert in your field. Know your facts, and stand by them. How can you solve problems when you don’t know what you are dealing with? Take it upon yourself to make life a learning experience – that is the only way you can roll with the punches and move forward through different challenges. And when it does come time to put your knowledge and expertise to the test, you can confidently state what you know; standing behind it when someone questions you, “Are you sure?”

Stand up for yourself.

Don’t be content with mediocrity – strive to do your best at whatever you put your mind to. There is encouragement and stability in teamwork and doing things together, but you also need to take chances in life and work hard, for yourself. If you are constantly only working or doing things for other people’s careers and dreams, how are you pursuing your own? There is a healthy balance somewhere, you need to find it for yourself.

Know what you are about, and defend it.

And in whatever you do, be your best self. If you do that, you will go far in life.

Because persistence is omnipotent.