Persevering to achieve success.

The Peanut

Irish tennis player James McGee is on court in the US Open after qualifying for the main draw. Reaching this stage has earned him ca €35,000 which, at 27, is almost 1/4 of his total career earnings to date.

Admittedly he's not on the breadline but he has persevered a longtime to try and achieve something notable in his career. Any posters out there with tales of persevering a longtime to achieve something notable?

Aongus Von Bismarck

I grew up on a rural farm in the west of Ireland. Our house was comfortable but far from affluent.

I persevered through college, achieving very highly in all exams. I eventually went on to do a post-graduate degree in the UK's top university. I now have a very highly paid job working in wealth management in Germany. I have a beautiful German partner and want for absolutely nothing.

I've come a long way from picking stones in the West.

The Peanut

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I grew up on a rural farm in the west of Ireland. Our house was comfortable but far from affluent.

I persevered through college, achieving very highly in all exams. I eventually went on to do a post-graduate degree in the UK's top university. I now have a very highly paid job working in wealth management in Germany. I have a beautiful German partner and want for absolutely nothing.

I've come a long way from picking stones in the West.

Well done, you should be proud. You were always likely to do well in Germany though with your surname.

beks101

Went to college got a degree travelled the world got a good job ran a marathon yack yack yack.
High achievers exhaust me.
Either get on with it or sit on your aRse and eat cake. Cake is nice.
I couldn't give a shyte either way.

Donkey Oaty

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

and want for absolutely nothing.

Other than a bit of healthy humility.

The Peanut

beks101 wrote: »

Went to college got a degree travelled the world got a good job ran a marathon yack yack yack.
High achievers exhaust me.
Either get on with it or sit on your aRse and eat cake. Cake is nice.
I couldn't give a shyte either way.

This thread wasn't specifically created for high achievers. More so for stories of perseverance. Could be a hobby, relationship, renovating a property, etc.

DeanAustin

Donkey Oaty wrote: »

Other than a bit of healthy humility.

Christ, where has that come from?

The fella has a good life that he's worked for. More power to him. He wasn't being a c**t about it.

wazky

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I grew up on a rural farm in the west of Ireland. Our house was comfortable but far from affluent.

I persevered through college, achieving very highly in all exams. I eventually went on to do a post-graduate degree in the UK's top university. I now have a very highly paid job working in wealth management in Germany. I have a beautiful German partner and want for absolutely nothing.

I've come a long way from picking stones in the West.

How do ze Germans understand your thick bogger whest accent?

Sky King

DeanAustin wrote: »

Christ, where has that come from?.

Ireland, obv. Where you can't be successful without people thinking your're an upstart kunt who doesn't deserve it.

But don't be too low key, or they'll accuse you of being a tight arse.

Donkey Oaty

DeanAustin wrote: »

The fella has a good life that he's worked for. More power to him. He wasn't being a c**t about it.

Sorry, there's no begrudgery here. I thought he was saying he did well in exams and has a high-paying job and a beautiful partner, and he made it all sound fairly effortless.

Now, had he failed his exams a the first attempt, went to night school while holding down a crappy job, was turned down by dozens if not hundreds of companies before achieving his dream job and partner (who didn't give him the time of day initially, but after countless days/months wooing her she eventually came around) - that would be a tale of perseverance, which is what the OP was looking for.

Aongus Von Bismarck

Donkey Oaty wrote: »

Sorry, there's no begrudgery here. I thought he was saying he did well in exams and has a high-paying job and a beautiful partner, and he made it all sound fairly effortless.

Now, had he failed his exams a the first attempt, went to night school while holding down a crappy job, was turned down by dozens if not hundreds of companies before achieving his dream job and partner (who didn't give him the time of day initially, but after countless days/months wooing her she eventually came around) - that would be a tale of perseverance, which is what the OP was looking for.

Still smells like jealousy, spite and bitterness to me.

Donkey Oaty

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Still smells like jealousy, spite and bitterness to me.

Now, that's begrudgery.

I'm persevering with this one - you'll all come around, you will, you will!

kneemos

The Peanut wrote: »

Irish tennis player James McGee is on court in the US Open after qualifying for the main draw. Reaching this stage has earned him ca €35,000 which, at 27, is almost 1/4 of his total career earnings to date.

Admittedly he's not on the breadline but he has persevered a longtime to try and achieve something notable in his career. Any posters out there with tales of persevering a longtime to achieve something notable?

Not great is it? At 27 his career is almost over.

The Peanut

kneemos wrote: »

Not great is it? At 27 his career is almost over.

It's a big deal for him though. He cried when he qualified and has his parents watching him play.

I'm cynical by nature so trying to remain positive in this thread.

Last_Minute

The thing always comes into my mind is that all this hard work might come to nothing - you are not guaranteed success although working hard does increase the chances.

House of Blaze

I've persevered through things but never achieved anything notable afterward.

Same as most I would imagine.

Topper Harley

Donkey Oaty wrote: »

Now, had he failed his exams at the first attempt, went to night school while holding down a crappy decent but not my dream job, was turned down by dozens if not hundreds of companies before achieving his dream job and partner (who didn't give him the time of day initially, but after countless days/months wooing her she eventually came around) - that would be a tale of perseverance, which is what the OP was looking for.

You pretty much got my story right there.

LiveIsLife

DeanAustin wrote: »

Christ, where has that come from?

The fella has a good life that he's worked for. More power to him. He wasn't being a c**t about it.

Sky King wrote: »

Ireland, obv. Where you can't be successful without people thinking your're an upstart kunt who doesn't deserve it.

But don't be too low key, or they'll accuse you of being a tight arse.

Nah, having seen his posts on other threads the op is right. Never fails to get in something about how well he's doing and how others are jealous or to look down his nose on others. I actually thought it was a parody/troll account when I first read some of his comments, but he appears to be somewhat serious

FairytaleGirl

I've struggled with mental illness for most of my adult life. I had a setback recently and am about to commence cbt for it.

I have applied for uni next year (my second degree) to study mental health nursing. The day I graduate with that and hopefully a good level of my own mental health too, il probably bust with pride.

So although I'm still persevering now, il hopefully get there someday!

conorh91

I really like this passage from Theodore Roosevelt's speech, "Citizen in a Republic". It was read at the funeral service of Albert Reynolds today.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

The Peanut

FairytaleGirl wrote: »

I've struggled with mental illness for most of my adult life. I had a setback recently and am about to commence cbt for it.

I have applied for uni next year (my second degree) to study mental health nursing. The day I graduate with that and hopefully a good level of my own mental health too, il probably bust with pride.

So although I'm still persevering now, il hopefully get there someday!

Good for you. Cannot be easy and fair play for remaining so positive.

Best of luck.

DeanAustin

Donkey Oaty wrote: »

Sorry, there's no begrudgery here. I thought he was saying he did well in exams and has a high-paying job and a beautiful partner, and he made it all sound fairly effortless.

Now, had he failed his exams a the first attempt, went to night school while holding down a crappy job, was turned down by dozens if not hundreds of companies before achieving his dream job and partner (who didn't give him the time of day initially, but after countless days/months wooing her she eventually came around) - that would be a tale of perseverance, which is what the OP was looking for.

What, do you think you get to the most prestigious college in England by not persevering with his education? Do you think he got a dream job right out of college or did he persevere, work hard and earn his dream job?

Anyone who achieves his level of success perseveres along the way. Good on him.

Aongus Von Bismarck

LiveIsLife wrote: »

Nah, having seen his posts on other threads the op is right. Never fails to get in something about how well he's doing and how others are jealous or to look down his nose at others. I actually thought it was a parody/troll account when I first read some of his comments, but he appears to be somewhat serious

Would you rather I said I had a dead-end job and lived alone in a damp bedsit? Perhaps that would make you feel better?

I persevered to continuously improve myself and have succeeded in life. That's the kind of inspirational story the OP was looking to hear about, not some tale of drudgery that ends with a dinner of Koka noodles in a dark bedsit.

The Backwards Man

Sky King wrote: »

Ireland, obv. Where you can't be successful without people thinking your're an upstart kunt who doesn't deserve it.

But don't be too low key, or they'll accuse you of being a tight arse.

And whatever you do, don't be yourself.

'There's something up with that cnut, seems too good be true, he's at something I tell ya.'

My name is URL

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Bragging about your penis size online is a sure sign that you suffer from having a tiny flute.

Indeed

LiveIsLife

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Would you rather I said I had a dead-end job and lived alone in a damp bedsit? Perhaps that would make you feel better?

I persevered to continuously improve myself and have succeeded in life. That's the kind of inspirational story the OP was looking to hear about, not some tale of drudgery that ends with a dinner of Koka noodles in a dark bedsit.

You seem to be under the impression that everybody wants to know about your life in every other thread. You come across as quite needy.

Czarcasm

Nothing particularly outstanding that would mean anything to anyone else, but those successes after refusing to give up have meant everything to me personally -

Czarcasm wrote: »

See thing is, it depends on your own perspective of yourself, how you quantify success or indeed failure.

I could fill an A4 refill pad with lists and lists of failures; I could fill another TEN A4 refill pads with lists and lists of regrets.

I'd struggle to make a half page paragraph were I to list what I personally would see as my successes, but it's what those successes have meant to me and the impact they've had on my life, that by far outweigh the impact of the many numerous failures, and I tend not to dwell on regrets.

Tail Docker

This time next year we'll be millionaires, Rodney.

Adamantium

Donkey Oaty wrote: »

Other than a bit of healthy humility.

Please tell me the people thanking the above post are being sarcastic! :eek:This place at times.... :rolleyes:

Aongus Von Bismarck

LiveIsLife wrote: »

You seem to be under the impression that everybody wants to know about your life in every other thread. You come across as quite needy.

I answered the question in the OP. I didn't even go into detail.

If you don't enjoy my posts then stop following me around like a beggar. Same goes for that URL guy. Seems to be spouting bile in my direction in every thread I post in. Grow up guys.

Topper Harley

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Would you rather I said I had a dead-end job and lived alone in a damp bedsit? Perhaps that would make you feel better?

I persevered to continuously improve myself and have succeeded in life. That's the kind of inspirational story the OP was looking to hear about, not some tale of drudgery that ends with a dinner of Koka noodles in a dark bedsit.

I think the problem people have with you is that your tone is not very endearing and you can be a bit condescending towards others.

You could simply say that you worked hard, did well in college, got a good job and are happily married but instead you boasted about how greatly successful you are and how you have everything, in a thread about a man's long hard struggle to what some would see as moderate success but that is enormous to that person.

Not that I have a problem with your success, it sounds quite interesting and I wish you further success in the future.

Davarus Walrus

Topper Harley wrote: »

I think the problem people have with you is that your tone is not very endearing and you can be a bit condescending towards others.

You could simply say that you worked hard, did well in college, got a good job and are happily married but instead you boasted about how greatly successful you are and how you have everything, in a thread about a man's long hard struggle to what some would see as moderate success but that is enormous to that person.

Not that I have a problem with your success, it sounds quite interesting and I wish you further success in the future.

While I'd agree that the tone is rather 'haughty', I don't see what the problem is in general. Dude has done well for himself. You see others celebrating their success in the fitness forum, athletics forum, the various university forums. Some people like to measure their achievements based on where they are in their career.

There is this mealy-mouthed jealousy that always seeps into threads like this. The Union of Online Miserable Bastards resenting any bit of success. An almost perverse S&M thing where their need for outrage involves them visiting threads that will invariably cause their outrageometer to go off the charts.

4zn76tysfajdxp

Topper Harley wrote: »

I think the problem people have with you is that your tone is not very endearing and you can be a bit condescending towards others.

You could simply say that you worked hard, did well in college, got a good job and are happily married but instead you boasted about how greatly successful you are and how you have everything, in a thread about a man's long hard struggle to what some would see as moderate success but that is enormous to that person.

Not that I have a problem with your success, it sounds quite interesting and I wish you further success in the future.

I guess you don't make it to the top by making friends.

Topper Harley

Giuliana Witty Puppy wrote: »

I guess you don't make it to the top by making friends.

You're some smug bastard!

groucho marx

I walked in the snow to me free car to get me dole

I may be lying

pharmaton

Czarcasm wrote: »

Nothing particularly outstanding that would mean anything to anyone else, but those successes after refusing to give up have meant everything to me personally -

I'm from this school. I'm still persevering, I'm the most persevering preserverist ever, though tbf I've had some amazing company over the last year which has been great motivation. Some people are truely inspirational and I'm glad to have met them along the way. That's my success story so far but it makes me happy

beks101

Do ya know what though, success is all relative.

I could rattle off a list of achievements that could sound exceptional to someone else, but to me, has sort of been the result of luck or privilege or a combination of both. Did well at school, good degree, great job in a tough industry, lived in various different countries, the odd sporting or educational accolade as a kid etc etc.

The things that I'd be most proud of though would be the personal struggles that I overcame, that many other people wouldn't relate to or that I simply wouldn't bring up in conversation because they'd provoke awkwardness or discomfort or a sort of 'blank' response in other people.

I went through an eating disorder as a teenager and I've dealt with residual body image issues ever since. Quite often getting through a day without obsessing or beating myself up or under-eating or over-eating is ten times the achievement that getting a high-flying job could ever be, because academia and career success has come quite easily to me by comparison.

Equally I have a friend who writes and stages plays at various festivals in his spare time, pens the most extraordinarily smart and humorous scripts that he's had great success with in the TV industry. He really has a creativity that most people can hardly fathom, but sometimes for him getting out of bed and deciding not to end it all is the very definition of success and perseverance and is unparalleled than any other accomplishment because he suffers with depression.

So I don't tend to judge others on whatever list of 'accomplishments' they may or may not seem to have. Some things come easily to people; not so easily to others. Sometimes it's the very simplest things that most other people take for granted - like feeding yourself, or getting out of bed - that can be the accomplishment of a lifetime to someone else.

dellas1979

Well, I graduated from college. Couldnt get a job in what I wanted (as most people dont).

I worked in random jobs for 6/7 years, while still trying. I then worked full time, studied part time, I applied to the place where I work now, multiple times, until one day, someone whom I worked for for free at the time (again to try get my foot in the door), took a chance on little olde me, and recommended me to the place. Am there 4 years now.

Thats why in my mind set I dislike all this bullin' and bawlin' over "Im a graduate I deserve a job in what I studied" milarkey. If you believe you are good enough, but not getting the opportunities (I know some just fall into people's laps), just keep tryin.

Ironically, after getting that job, it was "Ouuu look at her and her fancy job"

Topper Harley

Davarus Walrus wrote: »

There is this mealy-mouthed jealousy that always seeps into threads like this. The Union of Online Miserable Bastards resenting any bit of success. An almost perverse S&M thing where their need for outrage involves them visiting threads that will invariably cause their outrageometer to go off the charts.

Do you genuinely see any mealy-mouthed jealousy, resentment or outrage towards that poster in this thread?

There was one suggestion of a lack of healthy humility to which there was a response of "smells like jealousy, spite and bitterness to me" and five other posters suggesting the same.

The outrage, if any, seems to be going in the other direction to what you're suggesting.

The Peanut

Well, James McGee's success, much like this thread, was very short-lived. He has just been beaten.

There's a message there for me....

PizzamanIRL

I persevered through the night cramming for my leaving cert many moons ago. Paid off.

My name is URL

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I answered the question in the OP. I didn't even go into detail.

If you don't enjoy my posts then stop following me around like a beggar. Same goes for that URL guy. Seems to be spouting bile in my direction in every thread I post in. Grow up guys.

Spouting bile? I quoted one of your own bilious posts. I could quote a hundred more too.

You wreck so many threads with your faux sense of superiority and associated bullshit.. and inherently seem to have the support of your old Thunderdome buddies in doing so.

Either give up the tired act or get over yourself.. instead of crying foul whenever someone calls you on the bullshit

LiveIsLife

Topper Harley wrote: »

I think the problem people have with you is that your tone is not very endearing and you can be a bit condescending towards others.

You could simply say that you worked hard, did well in college, got a good job and are happily married but instead you boasted about how greatly successful you are and how you have everything, in a thread about a man's long hard struggle to what some would see as moderate success but that is enormous to that person.

Not that I have a problem with your success, it sounds quite interesting and I wish you further success in the future.

A bit condescending would be putting it mildly, previous posts include:

I'm not hugely in favour of inequality myself. My drive to work in the 5-Series wouldn't be made better by the sight of shoeless plebs begging at street corners.

I regret to say I was somewhat of a bully to a rather dim lad I went to school with back in the day. Impeccably impersonating his terrible pronounciation in German class etc. Although, in my defence, everyone else laughed along with me, including our teacher and his own cousin.

He dropped out after the Junior Cert, I left the village immediately after school for university and promptly emigrated after that, so I had not seen him for over ten years before I ran into him one Stephen's Night a few years ago.

Graciously he forgave me immediately after I had apologised and bought him a pint. I also found out he worked in an Esso service station near my parents' house so I always make sure to pay him a visit and tip him generously for washing the car or checking the tyre pressure. Even though I am almost always driving a rented car.

It's a small price to pay to compensate for my past transgressions, for putting a little smile on his face and to cheer him up for not being able to escape our little town like I did. I hope he is doing well.

I live in Germany but I travel back to Ireland fairly often. Though there are much more Plus Size Padlings in Ireland than you'd see on the continent, it's not as anywhere near as bad as the adults.

I was home for Christmas last winter and ran into some of the ”people” I went to school with for the first time in the best part of a decade. It's incredible to see how quickly they've let themselves go, and they're barely in their 30s: big bulbous bloodshot eyes, massive bellies hanging over their jeans barely contained in their Penney's shirts, huge pink balding heads with high blood pressure.

They all looked like raging Elmer Fudds. Most of them had stopped getting regular exercise since drinking took over their desire to play Gaelic football back in their early 20s but, really, it was all diet to blame. Supermacs twice or three times a week, fried breakfast every morning and a feed of drink all weekend. One morbidly obese girl I went to school with spends her weekends drinking TWO boxes of Tesco red wine (both nights) and listening to best of the 80s playlists instead of mixing with people, dancing, cycling etc. I had to tell her to sort her life out in front of everyone for her own good.

Absolutely unrepresentative of the greater Irish population.

Not even close.

As a few people have pointed out, its definitely heavily skewed to the younger male, lower income, worker-drone IT class.

Few outliers obviously, but in the main your average boards user is Male, Atheist (and will point this out at all opportunities), left-wing, socially stunted, late 20s to early 30s, lower-middle to low income, interested in video games/comics/quirky sub-culture etc. , probabaly has bad facial hair and tattoos.

Looking through some of the comments I'm going back to the troll theory.

People can spout all they like about Irish begrudgery, but there's nothing wrong with a bit of modesty.

DeanAustin

The Peanut wrote: »

Well, James McGee's success, much like this thread, was very short-lived. He has just been beaten.

There's a message there for me....

The first step towards failure is trying. Never try?

Fakman87

Aongus Von Bismarck gets a lot of hate in pretty much every thread he posts in but I think he's the perfect antagonist for boards. He's either a master troll or a sociopathic bond type villain.

Given his penchant for men's fashion, good red wine and facial care I'm guessing the latter. In my mind he looks and speaks like Hans from die hard

The Peanut

beks101 wrote: »

Do ya know what though, success is all relative.

I could rattle off a list of achievements that could sound exceptional to someone else, but to me, has sort of been the result of luck or privilege or a combination of both. Did well at school, good degree, great job in a tough industry, lived in various different countries, the odd sporting or educational accolade as a kid etc etc.

The things that I'd be most proud of though would be the personal struggles that I overcame, that many other people wouldn't relate to or that I simply wouldn't bring up in conversation because they'd provoke awkwardness or discomfort or a sort of 'blank' response in other people.

I went through an eating disorder as a teenager and I've dealt with residual body image issues ever since. Quite often getting through a day without obsessing or beating myself up or under-eating or over-eating is ten times the achievement that getting a high-flying job could ever be, because academia and career success has come quite easily to me by comparison.

Equally I have a friend who writes and stages plays at various festivals in his spare time, pens the most extraordinarily smart and humorous scripts that he's had great success with in the TV industry. He really has a creativity that most people can hardly fathom, but sometimes for him getting out of bed and deciding not to end it all is the very definition of success and perseverance and is unparalleled than any other accomplishment because he suffers with depression.

So I don't tend to judge others on whatever list of 'accomplishments' they may or may not seem to have. Some things come easily to people; not so easily to others. Sometimes it's the very simplest things that most other people take for granted - like feeding yourself, or getting out of bed - that can be the accomplishment of a lifetime to someone else.

This is exactly the kind of post I was hoping to get. Somebody commented earlier that the tennis player's achievement was no big deal; his career was nearly over anyway. But achievements and success are so very relative to each individual. They belong to nobody else and really shouldn't be judges by anyone else.

I intended to complete a degree 20 years ago but in a very short space of time, 2 of my wife's younger brothers died in very tragic circumstances. All our plans went out the window and our lives changed forever. I stuck in a very-well paying career that I hated as it allowed us to function as a family as best we could.

I gave up working 3 years ago and I've just graduated with a 1st in my preferred career. I can't change my life, it is what it is. But I feel very proud of myself and my family. It's not boasting. It's pride.

Aongus Von Bismarck

My name is URL wrote: »

Spouting bile? I quoted one of your own bilious posts. I could quote a hundred more too.

You wreck so many threads with your faux sense of superiority and associated bullshit.. and inherently seem to have the support of your old Thunderdome buddies in doing so.

Either give up the tired act or get over yourself.. instead of crying foul whenever someone calls you on the bullshit

I'm quite perplexed at this tirade to be honest. You don't like me, fair enough. I suggest you put me on ignore, as I'll be doing exactly that to you.

No idea what the thunderdome buddies is, and I honestly don't care.

I'm going to have a glass of Weingut F.X. Pichler. I suggest you do whatever it is you do to unwind.

Tail Docker

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I'm quite perplexed at this tirade to be honest. You don't like me, fair enough. I suggest you put me on ignore, as I'll be doing exactly that to you.

No idea what the thunderdome buddies is, and I honestly don't care.

I'm going to have a glass of Weingut F.X. Pichler. I suggest you do whatever it is you do to unwind.

Pffft. Austrian wine. How very quaint.

kowloon

I'd like a single plum floating in perfume served in a man's hat.

Topper Harley

I've been perusing the fortified wine list and I've selected the '71 Hobo's Delight, the '57 Chateau Parté and the '66 Thunder Chevitz. And mix them all together in a big jug.

Peist2007

LiveIsLife wrote: »

A bit condescending would be putting it mildly, previous posts include:

Looking through some of the comments I'm going back to the troll theory.

People can spout all they like about Irish begrudgery, but there's nothing wrong with a bit of modesty.

The one about the guy he used to bully and how whenever he's back west now he stops at the Esso Station to give him some business and put a "little smile" on his face -

cannot be serious