Are you tough enough to succeed?

This isn't a new idea, but it's one worth repeating.

When it comes to success; talent, intelligence, personality, and innovation all take a back seat to one thing, grit.

Are you willing to practice harder, study longer, get up again and again after after being knocked down? The willingness to do that has more bearing on your future than your birthright, your degree or your brilliant smile.

More and more research is coming out on this topic and it shows up in all levels of competition, from National Spelling Bee champions, to PGA professionals, to business leaders. It's about showing up, not just once, but over and over. It's about not taking no for an answer.

How many people in this world have been one idea away from a breakthrough, one phone call away from a big sale, one rehearsal away from a perfect performance but stopped short because it was just too hard?

Grit is what cures disease. Grit is what creates new markets. Grit is what wins wars. Grit is what separates the smart from the successful. And grit is what Winston Churchill was talking about in one of the simplest, most memorable speeches in our time.

"Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, give up. Never give up. Never give up. Never give up."