"Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be"
About this Quote
George A. Sheehan, the physician-philosopher of running, redefines success as an inner achievement rather than an outer scoreboard. He spent his career arguing that the true race is the one toward oneself, and the line here distills that ethos. Success is not wealth, status, or applause; it is the steady work of aligning life with a felt purpose and a self you recognize as authentic.
The triad he names maps the journey. Courage is the starting flame, the willingness to leave safety, endure discomfort, and risk failure. Determination is the daily grit, the readiness to return to the task after discouragement, to keep moving when novelty fades. Will is the integrating force, the deliberate choice to shape action around values, even when no one is watching. Together they describe a long apprenticeship to the person you believe you were meant to be.
That phrase can sound fated, but Sheehan was not preaching destiny so much as discovery. A cardiologist who returned to running in midlife, became a champion in his age group, and wrote essays that turned training into a laboratory for the soul, he saw purpose as something uncovered through honest experiment. The miles teach you what you can stand, what you love, what you must change. Success, then, is not a trophy at the end but a fidelity to that learning.
The definition is also democratic. Anyone can practice courage, determination, and will; they are not rare gifts but habits available to all. By making success the process of becoming rather than arriving, Sheehan frees us from comparison. The standard is not someone else’s path but your own felt calling. In a culture that prizes outcomes, he suggests that the real victory is to live in such a way that your days add up to a self you trust.
The triad he names maps the journey. Courage is the starting flame, the willingness to leave safety, endure discomfort, and risk failure. Determination is the daily grit, the readiness to return to the task after discouragement, to keep moving when novelty fades. Will is the integrating force, the deliberate choice to shape action around values, even when no one is watching. Together they describe a long apprenticeship to the person you believe you were meant to be.
That phrase can sound fated, but Sheehan was not preaching destiny so much as discovery. A cardiologist who returned to running in midlife, became a champion in his age group, and wrote essays that turned training into a laboratory for the soul, he saw purpose as something uncovered through honest experiment. The miles teach you what you can stand, what you love, what you must change. Success, then, is not a trophy at the end but a fidelity to that learning.
The definition is also democratic. Anyone can practice courage, determination, and will; they are not rare gifts but habits available to all. By making success the process of becoming rather than arriving, Sheehan frees us from comparison. The standard is not someone else’s path but your own felt calling. In a culture that prizes outcomes, he suggests that the real victory is to live in such a way that your days add up to a self you trust.
Quote Details
| Topic | Success |
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