Indeed, the calculated costs and benefits of passion and perseverance don't always add up, at least in the short run. It's often more "sensible" to g… - Angela Duckworth

In other words, we want to believe that Mark Spitz was born to swim in a way that none of us were and that none of us could. We don't want to sit on the pool deck and watch him progress from amateur to expert. We prefer our excellence fully formed. We prefer mystery to mundanity.

Have a fierce resolve in everything you do." "Demonstrate determination, resiliency, and tenacity." "Do not let temporary setbacks become permanent excuses." And, finally, "Use mistakes and problems as opportunities to get better — not reasons to quit.

It doesn't really matter who it is, and it doesn't even matter whether that purpose is related to what the child will end up doing. "What matters, " Bill explained, "is that someone demonstrates that it's possible to accomplish something on behalf of others."