Nothing replaces good hard work

I was reading Biz Stone's blog http://www.bizstone.com/ today and something he wrote in September about his success with Twitter struck me as vitally important to success.  It's worth reading the entire post, but the my favourite part of the post is this statement: 

"Timing, perseverance, and ten years of trying will eventually make you look like an overnight success. Surrounding yourself with smart people you like to work with helps immeasurably."

 More often than not it's the years of commitment to excellence and a dream, coupled with the hours of hard work, that go unrecognized and unrewarded.  People need to reach inside themselves to find an inner source of strength and motivation because, let's face it, we're not all going to be 'rich and famous' or world champions. 

I believe that if you're working hard and, as Biz Stone says, surrounding yourself with smart (and good/honest/trustworthy) people, you too can find your own personal sweet spot.  You and I will determine the outcomes and our eventual successes because we write our own stories every day.