What is Determination?
Roger Federer wining the French Open is Determination
Brian Lara scoring 400 runs is determination
Lance Armstrong winning 7 Tour the France titles is determination.
How these are people helpful to me, you ask? I don't know them, they certainly don't know me, so why should I care.
Here's a quote:
'Wise men learn from the experiences of others." You don't need to know these people personally in order to take the lessons they teach and apply it to your lives.
Brian Lara's success at the wicket didn't come overnight. He was not universally liked throughout his career. But what he did show, is that despite the criticisms leveled against him, he knew his ability. He took all that he learnt in the past and applied every ounce of experience he has ever gained and put all that blood, sweat and tears into that record breaking performance.
Take that lesson with you. Know that despite what the world says about you, whatever negative comments come your way, you have the ability. You have the ability against all odds to succeed in your life. The going will be tough, but you will succeed in the end. The end may seem far away, but remember that the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.
What lesson does Roger Federer teaches us? He teaches us to grasp the opportunity when it presents itself. Roger Federer had belief in himself. His greatest rival Rafael Nadal always stood in his way of winning the coveted French Open title, the last title missing from the Federer arsenal. When all of the tennis world was doubting Federer, he didn't doubt himself. He said that the day that Nadal was not in the French Open final, that title would be his. So said so done. When Nadal was unable to reach the final for a fifth year in a row, Federer who did reach the final for a fourth year in a row (always losing) was finally able to seize the opportunity and the trophy.
What lesson do we take from this. Keep trying for your goal, have belief in yourself, even when the odds are against you, and the opportunity will eventually present itself. And when opportunity presents itself, grab it with both hands! Now the next thing we have to remember here, is that opportunity is also the result of hard work and a little bit of luck sometimes. Roger Federer would never have gotten to that title, if he did not reach the final himself. Although, he was lucky not to have faced Nadal in the final, he also worked hard to get where he was. Remember that, and use that knowledge in your own pursuits.
And what about Lance Armstrong. Lance Armstrong's winning the 7 Tour the France titles is not the story here. Yes it was a great accomplishment, however, his even greater hurdle was overcoming stage four cancer, coming back from the brink of death to fulfill his dream. How did he do this you may wonder. In Lance Armstrong's own words, he implied that it was a state of mind. Although the doctors believed him to be terminal, he never did. He knew, felt and wanted to get better. Now that alone didn't cure him. What cured him was that he became an active part of his cure. He researched the best doctors and treatments, the sought help, from those best able to help him and together with the support of his friends, family, medical team and himself he was able to overcome his disease. And after that, he went on to accomplish his dream.
The lesson to be taken from here is? You play a large part in your own success. You must have the state of mind, allowing to believe that it can be done. You must surround yourself with positive people determined to see you succeed. You must seek the help that you need to help you succeed. And when you have overcome your hurdles and the obstacles that stand in your way, your dreams are there ready for the taking. Remember the song "I can see clearly now the rain is gone, I can see all obstacles in my way." Look where you want to be, determine what stands in your way, and develop a plan to overcome those obstacles and then the world is at your feet!
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