In school I had few friends who I connect with well. We all wanted to do great stuff. But I was the only one who quit and stuck with it. Everyone else had surrendered to their parents wishes in varying degrees for various reasons. Some kept their goals in mind. The rest just "grew up". Perseverance needs self-confidence and integrity. When you say one thing and do another, nobody takes you seriously. If you hold your ground, people will come to adapt to your existence. That's how my friends who kept their goals survived the world.

"Just because you suck at something, doesn't mean YOU suck. And the good news is that you can always get better."

Amen @jaichai
It's the growth that matters. I've seen the good being left while the mediocre one rise way above those who stuck with the goodness they knew. People are thinking too much about the short term. They asked me to go to a college and I slept through the exams. Why?.... my teenage motto was to think what the things I do would do to me 30 years down the line. How much does a degree matter 30 years down the road. That's how I made my calls.

I'm happy to have triggered all those memories. I'm not even 24 years old.