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TAMPA BAY • FEBRUARY 23-24 2026

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A Life Lesson From Marie Curie

Some of the best lessons I have learned in my life have come from reading quotes from brilliant leaders, writers, inventors, and authors of the past. I often walk away with some new insight, a fresh perspective, or something that I ponder about for days or weeks. I recently came across this quote from Curie’s biography, she wrote,

Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.

Confidence is such an important factor in our overall success in life that it cannot be overlooked. If you do not possess confidence in yourself, your abilities, and your products/services; how can you expect others to do the same? Napoleon Hill wrote and spoke extensively about the importance of confidence and how the belief in ourselves plays a vital role on the road to success. Tapping into YOUR unshakeable, unbreakable confidence is what sets you up for not only success but also sets you apart from the crowd.

Along with strong inner confidence, Curie mentions perseverance. Perseverance is required to reach any goal we set for ourselves. Without perseverance, as soon as an obstacle comes up to challenge us, we are more likely to quit or give up. But when you have the right mindset, confidence, and perseverance on your side, a few curve balls will stop or make you fall short of achieving your goals. Napoleon Hill also tells us that we must possess a BURNING DESIRE. Burning desire is a secret ingredient that people often lose sight of when they are in the heat of their daily battles in life. However, if you lack a burning desire, you will stop short of achievement because you allowed obstacles, people, or situations to derail your progress.

I believe we should embrace our natural gifts and abilities. It is our job to find what our true purpose in life is, otherwise, we are wasting our time and talent on work and obligations that do not fulfill us. As Curie states,

We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.

Do some internal investigating to find out what makes you tick and fills your heart with a burning desire, this will set you out on a path toward personal and professional success and achievement. How can you embrace your natural gifts and talents today?

Melissa Van Oss
Melissa Van Oss
Melissa Van Oss is a MidWest transplant to Washington, D.C. She embraced city life becoming involved in a private underground world that few see inside of, she pushed past her own fears, insecurities, and barriers, and came out the other side transformed into a confident, adventurous spirit… she awoke her aura of Seduction. Melissa is a three-time bestselling author, speaker, human relations strategist, and scholar. She is the author of the Seduction as a Second Language Series. Melissa uses her experiences in the world of Seduction to help others understand Seduction As A Second Language and how it translates into more confidence from the bedroom to the boardroom. When viewed as an intellectual pursuit, understanding Seduction will lead you down a path toward personal transformation, evolution, and higher consciousness. There is a difference between social Seduction and seducing someone in our personal relationships, Melissa shares how to tell the difference between them and how to use them to your advantage. Melissa has been interviewed for Life Altering Experiences on Roku TV as well as being featured in The Hollywood Times. She has also been a guest on the podcasts - “What Every Business Needs to Know Right Now,” “Analytical Chaos,” and “The Guy Who Knows a Guy.” She also recently spoke at the Monetize Your Matter Summit. She works with individuals, high-level executives, entrepreneurs, as well as former professional athletes. Melissa has collaborated on the creation of several live events and spoken at numerous workshops. The Indie film in which Melissa was a consultant won numerous awards as well. Van Oss attended Kent State University, where she graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Science degree. She currently lives in Washington, D.C.

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3 CONVERSATIONS

  1. You are not born passionate about something, you become passionate about something. passion is something that is built. I mean that to find and nurture your passion, you have to do a bit of effort.
    One will realize that he has “found” his passion only when he has experimented, put into practice, read, studied. More or less it works like this: you find a topic / theme, you start to read and deepen the question. You will begin to experiment by becoming better and better by acquiring more specific skills. New obstacles will be encountered, but these obstacles will give us the impetus to delve even further.
    From the moment we have found our passion and start cultivating it, we will certainly be closer to having found (at least in part) our purpose in life: our why.
    It is practically impossible to continue to do your job well and grow professionally without being at least a little passionate about your work. Because a passion requires commitment and motivates us to improve, making us grow professionally and personally, connects us with other people who have our same interests, leads us to better enjoy our time without wasting it and brings out the best in us.

  2. Hi Melissa
    I really like that you you emphasize that as important as confidence, perseverance, and burning desire are, that they are in service of doing something – purpose. Many of us struggle with our PURPOSE (Capitals for emphasis not emotional content) – perhaaps our job is to simplify another’s message for greater take up, or to support another’s confidence or perseverance?
    Or perhaps we are all meant to radically change the world? Goodness knows the world needs some radical change.
    What do you think?

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