Jose Gomez

Mrs. Prendergast
Introduction to rhetoric
November 8, 2023

Characteristics of Successful People

One of the most challenging obstacles I’ve faced in my life is one of my family members

leaving. I’m not alone in facing this type of struggle. This is a common setback for many, but it

is possible to overcome. It is important that people know how to overcome these setbacks in

order to achieve success. To achieve your goals you need to have determination.

To overcome obstacles you need to have determination, perseverance and creativity.

Firstly in Motivation by Kwame Alexander it says that Lebron James had a lot of setbacks like

living in bad towns, being poor and wanting to win a Championship for the city that had not won

a championship in a long time. In Motivation, it states that he had to, “overcome adversity and

lead the Cavaliers to what has been called the greatest comeback victory in the sports history”

(Alexander 56). This means that in order to succeed you have to be determined. Lebron James

was determined to win a championship, because no one has won a championship in a long time.

Also, in Grit. by Alexander, Wilma Rodolph had polio as a child and wore a leg brace until 11

years old. It proves that, “that we all face challenges and defeats in our life, but if you are

self-determined and committed to putting in the work, you can bounce back like Wilma

Roudolph did” (Alexander 16-17). You have to have grit to be successful. Finally, in Focus it

says that Pele had perseverance. He learned at a young age that, “These street games gave Pele

the rough edge he needed to eventually compete and be noticed as he perfected his own unique

dribbling moves that would pay off later down the road” (Alexander 96). In order to be
successful you need to go against people who are better than you to become better. Clearly,

through determination it is possible to overcome even the most difficult challenges in life.

Without determination it would have been impossible for me to overcome the loss of a

family member. Similarly, Pele demonstrates determination because of the challenges he had to

overcome. Clearly determination is essential to one’s success.