So, there's this moment, right, where you discover your big, hairy, audacious goal. There's a moment where you define your reason for being here. There's this moment when you genuinely discover your purpose. And you're gonna need it. You're gonna need it because you're going to encounter some stuff in life.
Getting Through the Lows and Valleys
There's going to be some things that happen. There's going to be some lows and some valleys where it's not all easy peasy, man. It's not peachy, and it is certainly not clean. It's going to be a struggle. It's that knock-down, drag-out, knuckle-up, bare-knuckle brawl.
The Relentless Struggle
You're swinging with everything you've got, and you're getting knocked down, but you just keep getting up again because you know that you can. You know that deep inside, you are capable. It's that moment when you know something that nobody else does. It's when you're continuing to go forward while most people quit. You might look over and see someone who you thought was stronger or more talented than you give up. That's the crazy part.
Seeing the Contenders Drop Off
Years go by, and you see other contenders come and go. You're still in it. And that's what I want to talk to you guys about. That's the encouragement. That's where the motivation has nothing to do with me sitting here. It has everything to do with the extrinsic becoming intrinsic.
When you flip that switch on, you don't know how to turn it off. There's no going back. You're warped forever. People might look at you and think you're a nut or say, "This guy's crazy." Embrace it. Embrace that you're different. Embrace sometimes that you're a little strange. Embrace that your creativity makes you withdraw.
Even though I'm an extreme extrovert, I have to spend a lot of time introverted to accomplish what needs to be done. And you guys are going to find yourselves in that position too. That alone is part of the deal, part of the price you need to pay to succeed at the very highest level. To achieve your dream, you can't run from this. You can't shy away or back down.
Embracing the Sacrifice
Other people might not have discovered their big, hairy, audacious goal. They're not fully committed. You might be on a five-year, ten-year, or even twenty-year journey. Sacrifice is part of what you're going to pay. You're going to lay down your life to accomplish this thing.
Some people don't know how to go all out, to be all in, to give everything they have to achieve. That means being okay with not going to the party. You need to understand that at the end of the day, you’re going to have what others don’t. The battle doesn’t go to the swift or the strong, but to the guy who endures to the end.
Perseverance: Your Secret Weapon
The principle of perseverance is severely underutilized. It’s under-preached, it’s under-talked about, and it’s got to be at the top of your toolkit, man. It needs to be like a hammer that you can always reach for. Because what perseverance says is so important: If you persevere, the strongest guy or gal in the room doesn’t have what you have.
The most talented people around you, might be more talented, but if you break out perseverance, guess who’s gonna win? There are faster, quicker people, but if you persevere, you’re going to win.
You’re going to get the battle, you’re going to get the victory, you’re going to overcome. This is why I put so much emphasis on understanding purpose. Passion is easy.
Understanding purpose, understanding that big, hairy, audacious goal, continually tapping into that vision, and being in alignment with it makes perseverance easy. Pain can pull up a chair and hang out all day. It doesn’t matter. The pain’s fine. I can live with pain. What I can’t live with is losing this battle.
Too many people are content to lose the battle. They think another fight is coming. Sometimes you only get to fight for this one thing once. Opportunities are rare. When the opportunity presents itself, you’ve got to understand perseverance. You have to be prepared with everything you’ve got.
Preparation and Perseverance
Preparation is another crucial element. We’ll discuss that in another post, but for now, focus on perseverance. Just keep going. Just keep going. Just keep going. You can outlast them. You're going to outlast, man. Others will keep falling around you. I’ve seen it. I’ve been that guy.
I remember a guy who was in financial planning. Everyone told him to quit. He kept coming back. He ended up being an extremely successful manager in our company. He was sleeping in his car, doing whatever was necessary with no money, nothing, but he would not quit. He kept running calls, barely making anything, and pretty soon, he was at the top of the game. Talented people, better-looking people, they all came and went. But this guy hung in there until he nailed it. Now he's hitting home runs.
Keep Swinging
I hope that helps. We are going to get into more topics soon, so stay tuned. Bless you. See you in the next post.
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