To be the Best

Daily Quote

"In every aspect, have a game plan, and then do your best to achieve it."

-Alan Kulwicki-

Lesson of the Day

When I was in junior high, I was big. Six foot and two hundred pounds to be precise. I didn't have to try hard at football to be great, considering I was significantly bigger than everyone else. Now, the tune changed once I hit high school. People caught up to me, and I was forced to work harder to be good, let alone great. For awhile, I worked harder at practice, at lifting and during conditioning, and it payed off. I became a great football player. But, it doesn't end there, there's no conflict there. No, I wanted to be the best on the team, and to do that, I would have to sacrifice a lot. I constantly pushed myself harder than those around me, and put in more time, often around six hours a day, not including a two to three hour practice. I became one of the strongest, the fastest off the line, the most enduring, a monster on the field. I worked my form constantly, hours a day, to nigh perfection. I played all of every game, minus maybe five minutes. I could take an opponent out within a second of the snap. I would often take out two to four players each play. I became the best. But it cost me sixty hours a week, for two years. It cost me time with friends and family. It cost me my health, as now I have a lot of joint issues and a heat intolerance. I gave up a lot, to be the best. I don't regret the prices I paid, the things I gave up, and the costs I continue to pay. Rather, I want you to understand that, just like everything you do, the better you want to become, the higher the price you pay. Everyone remarks at how good I am at math, or at writing, and they say that they can't write like that, that they can't do math that well. The fact is that, while they are talents, I would not be as good as I am without hours and hours and hours of practice and reflective thought. I constantly reflect on my writing, from how to make it more interesting to how to structure it better. I constantly reflect on my math, to find easier ways to do things, to find alternate ways to think about problems, to find ways that formulas and ideas connect. The math that I help people with today, I have practiced and used and toyed with daily for over a decade now. The only path to greatness and skill is through exhaustive effort, through countless hours, through failure, through exploration and creativity, and through a will that won't quit. Ask yourself how much you're willing to pay to be great, how much you're willing to hurt and lose and fail, to become the best. Are you willing to give up sleep? Free time? Or time with family and friends? Raising a family? Love? Community with those around you? If you aren't willing to sacrifice, you will never do your best.

Questions to Ponder

How much are you willing to pay to be great? Are you willing to give up comfort and fun to succeed? Do you put time in daily on what you're doing? Do you push yourself to your limit? How badly do you really want it?

Gratitude

I'm thankful for my talents, and for the skills I have built. I'm thankful for knowing what matters to me, and for having the drive to pursue it, even when it hurts most. Thank you all for reading! I hope you all have a great day!