30 Days of Churchill - Day 24

"When I warned [the French] that Britain would fight on alone, whatever they did, their Generals told their Prime Minister and his divided cabinet: 'In three weeks, England will have her neck wrung like a chicken.  Some chicken! Some neck! -- speech before Joint Session of the Canadian Parliament, Ottawa (December 30, 1941)

My Take - Britain fought a holding action in France after the French surrendered and left behind a trove of men and materielle on the beaches as they evacuated the BEF.  Anyone looking at the situation then would have thought that Britain would sue for peace.  Britain held out and defiantly dared Hitler to try to cross the English Channel.  When the United States entered the war, Britain was a pivotal part of preparation and planning for the liberation of Europe, and British soldiers, sailors, and airmen were a crucial part of the war and its aftermath.

Never listen to those who say you can't succeed.  In life, there will always be those who look at your efforts and your plans and tell you that it will come to ruin.  As much as you can, disregard them and keep plugging away.  It will usually be difficult, and it will rarely be fun, but with enough effort, talent, and luck, you will succeed.