Wow! Great post! My only objection is that you didn’t write it fifty years ago when I was young! Seriously, your Post is the kind of sound career counseling that neither I nor many people got. Let me point out-not to diminish you, but in the manner of a friendly amendment-that you were apparently fortunate enough to have parents who raised you to believe in yourself not only to succeed, but also to continue your efforts in the face of thirteen failures. Either that-or you had uncommon inner strength. Maybe both!