Through ups and downs, I’ve learned that the greatest breakthroughs don’t always come with great achievements.
Often, they happen silently, or even on days when everything seems stagnant, in the hours when the urge to stop is stronger, but we choose to continue.
Persisting, even without guarantees, is one of the purest forms of courage that exist.
When I started my entrepreneurial journey, I thought success was the result of intelligent decisions and well-executed strategies.
Today, I understand that it is, above all, a consequence of the ability to resist.
The journey of someone who builds something from scratch is made of uncertainties: the fear of making mistakes, the accounts that don’t balance, the sleepless nights, the weight of leading when nothing seems to work.
It is in this unstable terrain that the strength of persistence is born.
That’s right, the kind that doesn’t shout, but sustains.
I remember phases at SEDA when everything seemed to conspire against us. Changes in rules, economic crises, internal challenges. There were days when the hardest part wasn’t solving the problem, but finding the energy to believe it was still worth it.
And, interestingly, it was precisely those days that taught me the most. Because persisting isn’t about denying tiredness, it’s about learning to walk with it.
I learned that continuing doesn’t mean keeping up the same pace, nor pretending everything is alright.
Sometimes, it’s about taking a slower step, taking a break, reorganizing the route. But continuing.
The difference between those who achieve and those who give up is rarely in talent, but rather in the willingness to endure the interval between effort and result.
It is in this space that maturity happens, where faith is tested and vision is strengthened.
Persisting is also an act of love for what is being built. It’s looking at a dream and saying: “I’m not finished yet.” Even when enthusiasm fades, purpose is what sustains us.
And that’s what makes the journey worthwhile, knowing that behind every achievement, there’s a story of resilience, of falls, and of new beginnings.
Today, I believe that not giving up is often the true advancement.
Because growing isn’t just about conquering new spaces, it’s about remaining steadfast when everything tells you to stop.
And it’s in that moment, when no one is watching, that the transformation truly happens.
