Thursday, March 4, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Failure Creates Opportunities!
I have become accustomed to failure, especially with my Greek courses, but I look to those who have gone before me who have failed but used that failure to their advantage to succeed. I don't know how to upload a youtube video (perhaps Ryan or Billy can give a training in class on how to do that), but if you would like to see a great motivational video about failure, it is called "Famous Failures". I would encourage you to have a look at it.Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Good-Bye Yesterday
" Is the Past Holding Your Life Hostage?""To move forward today, you must learn to say good-bye to yesterday's hurts, tragedies, and baggage."
Having established the devastatingly destructive nature of allowing past failures to plague your future in our presentation last week, I now wish to expound upon this principle by taking it to another level.
While each of us must learn to free ourselves from the baggage of our past and look to the future with eyes of hope, we must also learn to allow others to do likewise.
Too often we are willing to look over our personal mistakes, only to dwell and linger in the mistakes of others. As stated so powerfully by Elder Holland in his recent BYU devotional and later Ensign address entitled "Remember Lot's wife" and "The Best is Yet to Be" we read the following concerning the importance of forgiving the past actions of others:
"There is something in many of us that particularly fails to forgive and forget earlier mistakes in life--either our mistakes or the mistakes of others. It is not good. It is not Christian. It stands in terrible opposition to the grandeur and majesty of the Atonement of Christ..."
"When something is over and done with, when it has been repented of as fully as it can be repented of, when life has moved on as it should and alot of other wonderfully good things have happened since then, it is not right to go back and open up some ancient wound that the Son of God Himself died to heal.""Let people repent. Let people grow. Believe that people can change and improve. Is that faith? Yes! Is that hope? Yes! Is that charity? Yes! Above all, it is charity, the pure love of Christ. If something is buried in the past, leave it buried. Don't keep going back with your little sand pail and beach shovel to dig it up, wave it around, and then throw it at someone, saying, "Hey, Do you remember this?" Splat!"
Truly, as stated in the scriptures, we are required to forgive all men and leave the judgement up to God. As we do so, strving to free both ourselves and others from the baggage of our pasts, I know that life will become more enjoyable. We will readily forgive and be forgiven, and our lives will be filled with the most important attribute of all; charity.
CAN
"Handicaps can only disable us if we let them. This is true not only of physical challenges, but of emotional and intellectual ones as well." ~Roger Crawford.
Years ago, I came across a story about a boy who was born physically paralyzed. He was doomed to be, as the doctor told the boy's father, "a vegetable," and in fact, the doctor advised the father to put him into an institution. However, the father refused, choosing to raise his son just like any other boy.
As the boy grew up, his parents could see in his eyes that he was smart. Yet all he could to was look back. He had no control over his body, neither his mouth or voice. The family was very athletic, and they did their best to include the boy in activities such as swimming and street hockey.
The time came when technology was advanced enough for the boy to communicate with them by means of a computer. His parents debated what his first words were going to be. His mother was cheering for a "Hi Mom," and his father was confident he would say "Hi Dad." Well, his first words were, "Go Bruins." The Boston Bruins were going for the Stanley Cup that year, and he was one of their biggest fans.
Yet he would never be able to participate in any of the sports that he loved.
What hope is there for a paralyzed kid who is seemingly unable to choose whether he will "fall backward" or "fall forward?" And what effect does this have on his emotional well-being?
To answer these questions, let's turn to the boy's father:
Through the sacrifice of his father, Rick Hoyt succeeded in participating in a myriad of athletic events, including several Ironman competitions. It began with a local charity run, after which Rick wrote on his computer to his father, "Dad, when I'm running, it feels like my disability disappears." This pattern of success culminated into Rick's graduation from college, as well as his becoming a faculty member of that institution. So I guess Rick's father followed the doctor's "institution" advice after all.
Ultimately, Rick's physical victory required the help of another.
We can be that person. When someone fears that they will fall (or fail) backward, we can offer a loving hand to prop them up-- and we can also ask for that loving hand.
But even more spectacular is Rick's internal victory. He has an unquenchable optimism that defies his disability. In an Ironman documentary, Rick wrote on his computer, "I may be disabled, but I live a very fulfilling life, and if someone takes the time to get to know me they will realize that I am no different than anyone else."
Dick Hoyt said of his son, "He lives a happier life than probably 95% of the population." Why do you think so? What lessons can we learn from him, and how do those lessons relate to what we learned about "failure?" I have plenty to say, but I'll leave it to you. Feel free to leave comments and insights.
Years ago, I came across a story about a boy who was born physically paralyzed. He was doomed to be, as the doctor told the boy's father, "a vegetable," and in fact, the doctor advised the father to put him into an institution. However, the father refused, choosing to raise his son just like any other boy.
As the boy grew up, his parents could see in his eyes that he was smart. Yet all he could to was look back. He had no control over his body, neither his mouth or voice. The family was very athletic, and they did their best to include the boy in activities such as swimming and street hockey.
The time came when technology was advanced enough for the boy to communicate with them by means of a computer. His parents debated what his first words were going to be. His mother was cheering for a "Hi Mom," and his father was confident he would say "Hi Dad." Well, his first words were, "Go Bruins." The Boston Bruins were going for the Stanley Cup that year, and he was one of their biggest fans.
Yet he would never be able to participate in any of the sports that he loved.
What hope is there for a paralyzed kid who is seemingly unable to choose whether he will "fall backward" or "fall forward?" And what effect does this have on his emotional well-being?
To answer these questions, let's turn to the boy's father:
Through the sacrifice of his father, Rick Hoyt succeeded in participating in a myriad of athletic events, including several Ironman competitions. It began with a local charity run, after which Rick wrote on his computer to his father, "Dad, when I'm running, it feels like my disability disappears." This pattern of success culminated into Rick's graduation from college, as well as his becoming a faculty member of that institution. So I guess Rick's father followed the doctor's "institution" advice after all.
Ultimately, Rick's physical victory required the help of another.
We can be that person. When someone fears that they will fall (or fail) backward, we can offer a loving hand to prop them up-- and we can also ask for that loving hand.
But even more spectacular is Rick's internal victory. He has an unquenchable optimism that defies his disability. In an Ironman documentary, Rick wrote on his computer, "I may be disabled, but I live a very fulfilling life, and if someone takes the time to get to know me they will realize that I am no different than anyone else."
Dick Hoyt said of his son, "He lives a happier life than probably 95% of the population." Why do you think so? What lessons can we learn from him, and how do those lessons relate to what we learned about "failure?" I have plenty to say, but I'll leave it to you. Feel free to leave comments and insights.
Lucky Like Mike
“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.
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.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Failing.
At first I thought I'd use the quote "Handicaps can only disable us if we let them. This is true not only of physical challenges, but of emotional and intellectual ones as well...I believe that real and lasting limitations are created in our minds, not our bodies." --Roger Crawford
Then I thought about these videos that make me disagree:
So, I think I disagree that failure will not always leave some lasting physical damage. Sorry if this made you cringe at all.
Instead, I'd like to focus on the quote "All of the significant battles are waged within the self." -- Sheldon Kopp.
I've been starting to learn Tai Chi and was at practice yesterday when the teacher said something very interesting about a particular defense move that allows you to reverse a trap and inflict a lot of pain on someone: You must move yourself, not your enemy. What an interesting concept. It goes along with the quote as well. Failure is a matter of perception, a way of allowing us to see how we can change and improve and grow. With some obstacles, we must not move the obstacle, but ourselves in order to succeed, especially when that obstacle is much stronger than us.
Tai Chi also focuses on using core strength. Our enemy/challenge may be stronger than our limbs, but their limbs will not be stronger than our core, especially not if we develop that. The teacher also said that Tai Chi is like a tree and its leaves...if we simply pick at the leaves (the moves, the outer strength), we may develop some, but it will be difficult. If we grow our trunk (our core), then the leaves will automatically grow.
Then I thought about these videos that make me disagree:
So, I think I disagree that failure will not always leave some lasting physical damage. Sorry if this made you cringe at all.
Instead, I'd like to focus on the quote "All of the significant battles are waged within the self." -- Sheldon Kopp.
I've been starting to learn Tai Chi and was at practice yesterday when the teacher said something very interesting about a particular defense move that allows you to reverse a trap and inflict a lot of pain on someone: You must move yourself, not your enemy. What an interesting concept. It goes along with the quote as well. Failure is a matter of perception, a way of allowing us to see how we can change and improve and grow. With some obstacles, we must not move the obstacle, but ourselves in order to succeed, especially when that obstacle is much stronger than us.
Tai Chi also focuses on using core strength. Our enemy/challenge may be stronger than our limbs, but their limbs will not be stronger than our core, especially not if we develop that. The teacher also said that Tai Chi is like a tree and its leaves...if we simply pick at the leaves (the moves, the outer strength), we may develop some, but it will be difficult. If we grow our trunk (our core), then the leaves will automatically grow.
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