“Always bear in mind that your resolution to succeed is more important than any other thing.” –Abraham Lincoln
Occasionally I have heard people say about someone successful, lets say about Michael Jordan, “he is so lucky.” Essentially I think that this is true. But I think that it is equally as true about the people who say it, as it is about the person being referenced. Luck may or may not have played a role in us being born in America. It may or may not have been a factor in determining that we would have running water that is safe to drink in our kitchens. Perhaps part of our being raised in families where a college education is valued was decided by luck. All of these settings have contributed to the success of many people. I do not think Michael Jordan could developed a jump shot that would win him multiple NBA championships without living in a country that had paved streets to dribble a basketball on. And yet, not everyone who sets out to become the greatest basketball player that ever lived sees their goal realized. What made Jordan great was his resolution to succeed, his commitment to grow, and his ability to learn fearlessly from every missed buzzer-beater. I like the way the following commercial depicts the greatest player of all time:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45mMioJ5szc
Whenever I hear someone comment on how ‘lucky’ Jordan-esque people are to have their fortunes, scholarships, or championship rings as the case may be, I have to laugh. What Jordan did had very little to do with the traditional interpretation of ‘luck.’ It had everything to do with the number of times he missed a shot, and allowed that miss to increase his commitment to make the next shot he took. My dad once told me that “successful people are willing to do what unsuccessful people aren’t.’ So far, although I am not exactly the cover-boy for the word ‘success,’ life has taught me that the precise thing that successful people are willing to do is to fail. And then use that failure to become Michael Jordan.
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I just figured out how to post a video from Youtube... look at the post above this to watch the video.
ReplyDeleteTim,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! It's so true that each of us were uniquely blessed to be born into the circumstances that we've been given. Although they have some similarities, they also have some differences, yet each of these circumstances was specifically arranged by our Heavenly Father to allow us to accomplish our individual missions in life. Now, we just need to remember that determination and dedication your mentioned in order to accomplish those personal missions. Thanks for your post!
I agree ENTIRELY with your post. We need to take Jordan's life one step further though and look at how HE views it himself. For example, his acceptance speech when he was accepted into the Hall of Fame. He DOGGED on Stockton and Sloan (I'm a Jazz fan so that particularly hurt). Jordan, although having overcome his failures, is so blinded by his pride that it has become a source of haughtiness. We need to have humility in order to be REAL examples of success (that's right Jordan! Ha! I've been waiting to say that to you for years!).
ReplyDeleteLuck is an interesting topic. I have heard several of my worldly "heroes" tell me specifically that they worked very hard to be where they were and that they wouldn't have gotten as far as they did without a firm resolve and long hours. And then they have also added, "but part of it is luck..." True, Tim, we are all "lucky" in the sense that we are privileged to have such wonderful opportunities. But I believe that the kind of luck many people refer to are the seemingly unfair or additional opportunities that only come to some individuals. Indeed, inasmuch as luck is meeting of skill and opportunity, some people may actually be unlucky (although this may be a changeable condition) in that the opportunities never come. The business man may knock on doors all day and just accidentally miss the one door with the big deal. What we would we say then? Certainly I would say, "Tough break" or "What unfortunate luck".
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