Over a sufficiently long period of time, VTI has always had a positive return. There's something to be said about a buy and hold mentality and the American economy's innovative spirit. If you have the patience, the power of compounding even works in your favor because of the dividends that are paid that generate a return when reinvested. Bet on America.
On the other hand, buying single stocks and holding may not necessarily get you any returns. In this case, I've held Disney for over a decade and actually LOST money. Who would have thought that Disney, known for its parks and movies, could have negative returns after holding for a decade??