As seen in the Tried & True Spring 2025 issue
A man can make what he wants of himself if he truly believes that he must be ready for hard work and many heartbreaks.
—Thurgood Marshall, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
The road to becoming who you want to be isn’t an easy one. It’s marked by hard work, setbacks and challenges that will test you at every turn. Marshall’s words remind us that success doesn’t come to those who wait for it—it’s built by those who roll up their sleeves and press on, no matter how tough it gets.
It starts with a vision of who you want to be and what you want to achieve, but it requires more than wishful thinking. You have to believe deep down that it’s possible and then put in the sweat to make it happen. You have to be ready to push through the grind, face the tough days and learn from the times when things don’t go your way. This is more than working hard; it’s being ready to take a punch, stand back up and keep moving forward.
But the heartbreaks along the way are not without purpose. They shape you, teaching lessons that success alone never could. Each setback gives you the grit and determination to keep going, turning what feels like failure into fuel. The process isn’t just about achieving a goal—it’s about who you become while chasing it. If you believe it’s worth it and you’re willing to do the work, you can make yourself into exactly who you set out to be.
