Success. How bad do you want it?

    

      I have been in an inspirational mood lately.  There is nothing wrong with that, but if you know me well at all you know that I consider myself a realist and a bit of a skeptic, usually not an optimist.  I was raised to believe in myself and to value hard work.  I believe that hard work achieves success and think it is important that we try to surround ourselves with like minded individuals.  Nothing frustrates me more than to see someone who claims to want success but isn't willing to do what it takes to achieve it.   

     I love being around people who are not satisfied with where they are.  *Dont misconstrue this*  I am not referring to people who are not ever happy with what they have, rather I am speaking of people who constantly desire to do more with their lives.  It is inspirational to hear about elite athletes excelling after putting in countless hours of practice, missionaries who sell everything they have to live their lives for others, people who are ill and give us the courage to fight while they fight daily for their lives, and soldiers who risk it all to protect what we do on a daily basis. 

     It is that 'what we do' that has inspired me lately.  We all know that we aren't guaranteed another day but how often do we think about that as we complain on our way to work/school in the morning or complicate relationships over meaningless things?  I believe that each of us has an innate desire to be successful in almost everything we do.  Most of us just don't want it bad enough.  We worry so much about how other people are living their lives that we forget to focus on our own.  What are you doing to be the best you that you can be? 

    I was given this video by one of my athletes and wanted  to share it with you.  We used it as a motivational video prior to a basketball game last week.  It is particularly inspirational to athletes but it's message can be applied to all.  Listen carefully as Eric Thomas (aka The Hip Hop Preacher) tells the story of a man who thought he wanted to be successful.  It is a challenge to all of us to take a look at ourselves and decide how bad do we want to be successful?...as a student, an employee, an employer, a parent, a son, a daughter, a wife, a husband, a Christian, the list goes on and on...How bad do you want it?

Tebowing on a platform

One of the latest fads sweeping the world of social networking is "Tebowing" (go to tebowing.com/) While our country essentially mocks him for praying alot, Tim Tebow just laughs and seems inspired to see so many people taking notice of his bold faith. He has been mocked and criticized for years now so this latest trend is nothing new to him.

Several weeks ago I was flying to California and decided to finish his book "Through My Eyes" that I had started back in the summer. Having gone to Auburn during a couple of Tim's most successful seasons (2006 and 2007) I never was a big fan of his. Sure I thought it was cool that he put Bible verses on his eye black and yes he is built like a heavyweight MMA fighter and no I couldn't deny his passion for the game...but he was a Gator. That being said, I was by no means a Tebow fan when he was in college. Something about his journey to the NFL changed all of that for me. I have been fortunate enough to spend a little time interning and working in professional football. I have seen how hard guys work to make a team and how much harder they have to work just to stay on the team. I have also seen and lived how hard it is to live out your convictions in that environment.

Tim Tebow was (and still is) criticized more than ever since entering the NFL. It is amazing to me how a guy who has succeeded at every level he has played at still gets so little respect. Even after 5 wins in 6 games, the skeptics get louder and louder. But it doesn't seem to phase him. He still preaches his motto "hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work as hard" and stays true to his convictions giving God the glory in every circumstance. I finished his book on the same day that he had a huge win over the New York Jets after which he praised God and gave the credit to his teammates. It was amazing to see the very things that he said made him who he was displayed that night. His work ethic is exceptional and his faith and character are even more amazing.

I'm not writing this to say that I have officially jumped on the Tebow bandwagon, nor am I saying that the Broncos are a great team. I'm simply saying that it has been my observation that Tim Tebow believes that God has given him a great gift in his athletic abilities to use as a platform for Him. The part I love the most about Tim's story is his understanding that the harder he works, the more likely his chances of success in football are. The more successful he is, the greater his platform to share his faith becomes. Sure it is nice to get credit for your efforts. We all love to hear words of affirmation when we succeed. It is only when we realize that we have been put where we are for a reason that we will truly succeed. Everyone has a platform, but very few of us use it.

Eventually I would like to work again in big time athletics, but for now, as my wife finishes up her Masters degree I understand that God has placed me exactly where he wants me, in fact, he always has. I wish that I had the courage to use my platform more often rather than just blending in with the crowd, but that is something that I am trying to change. Life should be fun and exciting but ultimately there is much more to our existence on this earth than a Lombardi trophy or having everyone agree with everything we say or do. So the next time you find yourself "Tebowing" stop and think about what things you do in your life that merit being emulated. As I think about the people in my life who I want to end up like someday, I tend to think of individuals with character and integrity not just people who won trophies or lived to make themselves look great. I really suggest this book to everyone, especially the skeptics. You won't agree with all of it, but more importantly you can't deny some of it.



*Tim Tebow was criticized for saying that he loved God too often by a former player, his reaction is found in this interview: Tim Tebow with Skip Bayless