Thanks Dad
I’m not good–only persevering. This is one of the first lessons I remember my father teaching me about winning and success in life as I grew up. My father never considered himself to be better than other folks, but he did consider himself the person who is going to keep moving forward when everybody else gave up. He thought what success he realized in his life was about his willingness to persevere.
I know a number of very talented individuals who have not achieved the level of success that they desire simply because they can’t sustain. When the going gets tough, they fold. It’s hard to try and win. There’s a lot of temptations to slow down, to give up, to put those hands up and say I said I’ve had enough. It takes a special kind of person to keep going despite how hard it is.
Perseverance, Heart, and the Soul of America
This notion of perseverance is everywhere. We see it a lot of Hollywood movies. For instance, the story of Rudy Ruettiger–the undersized, under-skilled, Notre Dame athlete is a great example of someone whose determination, willingness to work, one’s stick-to-itiveness allows one to compete even if you aren’t the most talented person in the world. If it’s a choice between talent and heart, heart’s going to win just about every time and this notion is really an American notion because the United States founding is wrapped up in this whole idea of taking on a superior entity and winning. How can a ragtag bunch of farmers and traders go toe-to-toe and stare down the most mighty military in the world at the time–simply because they’re willing to keep working until the King of England no longer desired to fight. What an amazing idea–that through hard work, determination, and willingness to not give up, they allow themselves to institute new guards for their future security.
You Can’t Lose
A big part of personal success is being willing to take the step when no one else is willing to do so. If you can outlast your competition but keep moving when everybody else gives up, you cannot lose. Don’t give up on yourself. Don’t give up. Don’t give up on your dream. You need to win. It’ll make you feel so much better when you actually achieve it. If you sustain, if you outlast your competition, you cannot lose.
So I want to thank my father on this Father’s Day for passing on that important piece of wisdom about how to win. And for all other fathers out there, Happy Father’s Day to you and I look forward to seeing you in the next video. Thank you.
