Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles he has overcome. (Booker T. Washington, 19th-20th century American educator)
We often regard someone who has achieved a high position in business, entertainment, or politics as being successful. Obviously, they have moved up the ladder in their respective endeavors, but the secret to their success is the hard work they did to arrive there. Washington suggests that the real test for success is what they overcame to get there.
Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith (1 John 5:4).