Never give up

When I was little, I always dreamt of being an artist. However, burying myself in books and struggling in the a *sea of paper now, I keep asking myself, should I give up or should I just stick to my dream? Then I hear my heart giving the answer. Yes, of course. I shall never give up, because I know what persistence means to me. It’s more than just the determination and passion; it’s a fascinating journey on of exploring yourself. On the way we enjoy the bittersweet feelings*, knowing our strengths and weaknesses, realizing how powerful we are. And then we find ourselves reaching the destination unconsciously. And as the Henry David Thoreau quote goes, when you achieve your dreams, it's not so much what you get as who you have become in achieving them. That’s why I think we shall never give up.

* in both cases the definite article in singluar is grammatically possible and correct. But I have changed for the usual collocation.