To which he could have added, it takes talent to know that what counts is condemning mediocrity not in others but in ourselves. This is the money line for me.

To which he could have added, it takes talent to know that what counts is condemning mediocrity not in others but in ourselves. This is the money line for me. People who find purpose, who improve themselves to pursue that purpose, are always looking at their failures and asking how they can make themselves better so they can succeed on the next try. Those who blame others don't get better, they stay where they're at. This isn't to say that you can't be held back by circumstance or the mistakes of others, just that you yourself won't improve if you focus on the things you can't control. Finding a trait in yourself that could have allowed you to succeed had it been better developed can be difficult and requires creativity, but there's a lot of purpose to be found in that difficult and creative work.