One of the great football coaches of all time, Vince Lombardi (whom the Super Bowl Trophy is still named after) said, “The Quality of One’s Life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence regardless of their chosen endeavor.”
Is doing the EASIEST things in life really going to help us grow? Many times we are faced with the decision… I could take the easy way or go for it. How much better do you feel when you go for it then when you don’t?
In golf, an ole buddy of mine (Larry Tyerman) and I made up the name of a golf club called the “GFL” Club. The GFL Club is used when there is a decision whether to Go For It or Lay Up. It can be any club but is used when there is a decision whether to play it safe, for example, 150 yards in front of the water OR to go for the green that is 225 yards to clear the water and be on the green. Why we named it is cause many times when either of us went for it, we would take such a big swing that we would miss hit it and it would only go 150 yards anyway. So, we would say, “Used your GFL Club!” then laugh. There is something special about Going for it even when it doesn’t work out.
In Work terms, if we take the easiest job possible then we will get paid some of the lowest wages. In School, if you take only the classes that are easiest, how much are you really going to get out of it? I bet you remember some of the Oral Reports you had to do in highschool. Why? Because it challenged you!
The Great Jim Rohn said one of my favorite quotes of all times that has been hanging in my office for many years, “Don’t Wish it were easier; wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems; wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenges; wish for more wisdom.” Think about the POWER of thinking this way! Myles Monroe said the wealthiest place on earth is the Cemetery because there is so much POTENTIAL left there that was never used!! There is so much wisdom in those 2 quotes. Please read them again!
If you are in college and thinking about switching your major because you have a couple tough classes, consider this: One of the great lessons is being faced with a challenge that is tough and tackling it head on. Look, some classes are going to challenge you more than others. What are you made of?? It’s the easy path to drop the class. Easy path to switch majors. It is understood that when you squeeze an orange as hard as you can then orange juice comes out of it. So, when you are squeezed (and challenged), what comes out of you? Is it…get off this road or is it.. “I GOT THIS” or like Rocky said, “Relax boys, this isn’t no pie eating contest. I got this” when challenged by Tommy Guns.
When I was a kid, you heard about I.Q. Tests a lot where the people that were the smartest had the most advantages in life. You know what they found out? That many of the most successful people don’t have a high I.Q. In fact, I remember reading that Henry Ford was questioned in court by his lack of intelligence. You know what is found in the Most Successful People? Not a high I.Q., but rather a high A.Q. or Adversity Quotient. Adversity Quotient (which is a book) states a comparison or level that you can OVERCOME whatever obstacle is in your way. Quitting is the most easiest thing on earth to do, many do all the time, and that would give a person a low A.Q. level. Like all things, quitting can become a habit. But, so can looking your challenge square in the eyes and saying…one of us is going down and it ain’t me!!
One last thought here is that I know it seems forever away, but it is always good to look through your FUTURE glasses. Imagine when you are 20, 30 or even 40 years older than you are now, when you look back at your life, Are you going to want to see a person that quits and runs from challenges. Or a person that fought threw the challenges of life. Get Tough Minded, Be the Best you can be, and Remember that the little decisions that make everyday can change the destiny of your life. It’s Go Time!
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