Here’s a little success recipe for you: Start with a big, scary dream and then combine with a ton of HARD WORK; Next, add a massive amount of DEDICATION and blend well; Then sprinkle liberally with DAILY COMMITMENT for years on end; Be sure to stir in a healthy quantity of OBSESSION WITH THE JOURNEY and mix with all of the above ingredients.
Then you must fold into this batter unequal amounts of FRUSTRATION, SETBACKS, FAILURE and SUFFERING. These ingredients are quite vital because they add unique flavor and special meaning to the dish. Stir the above mixture for days, weeks, months and years or as long as it takes. Be sure to keep your attention on YOUR DISH as you mix AND ON NO ONE ELSE’S. Note: Allowing your attention to drift to others during preparation will leave a terrible taste in your mouth.
Serving size: JUST YOU!
There is nothing glamourous or mysterious about making your athletic dreams a reality. You don’t really need to be blessed with physical gifts and unearthly talent levels. What you do need is to take what ever God-given talents that you do possess and then combine them with the above recipe. Of course, one of the most important driving forces in this “dish” of yours can be found in the word OBSESSION. To be as successful as possible, you must allow yourself to become obsessed with your journey.
What’s this obsession I’m talking about?
It means immersing yourself in your dream, thinking about it all the time, making it one of the most important things in your life (but not to the exclusion of school, family and other critical commitments). In other words, you want to have a healthy obsession with your journey. You want to hold it as close to you as you can. You want to use this obsession to fuel your efforts, channel your energies and motivate you towards action.
After developing his Theory of Relativity, Albert Einstein said, “I know quite certainly that I have no special talent. Curiosity, obsession and dogged endurance, combined with self-criticism, have brought me to my ideas.”
Albert Einstein, a.k.a. Mr. Brilliant is saying that he had “no special talent!” just an obsession and dogged endurance. It’s this kind of obsession or intense focus on a goal that you’ll always find alive and well in successful athletes, regardless of their sport. It’s this, more than anything else which will allow you to overcome your setbacks, disappointments and frustrations and keep on keeping on.
It’s your obsession with a goal that allows you to painstakingly explore every avenue of development and to take an honest look at your weaknesses and do everything in your power to strengthen them.
So if you really want to “whip up” something special, personally satisfying and “quite tasty,” then get started today. But remember, before you begin to cook, you must have a bulk supply of obsession on hand. Enjoy!
