As I watched the LA Lakers clean out the clocks of Orlando Magic, and see Kobe Bryant rise to the occasion, and Fisher put in a 3 pointer with 4 seconds to go, I couldn’t but help ask myself “Are Champions born or are they created”? Is it Nature or Nurture that is the biggest contributor. Is your success at anything predisposed at birth? Surely, Kobe has some physical advantage that he was born with and a temperament he inherited. Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France a record 6 times but he also was born with a heart that is unusually big for a human and thus has the ability to pump more blood. Pau Gasol has the height, Lance has the heart, Brett Farve has superior arm strength, Tiger Woods has the ability for unimaginable concentration, Sharapova has the grunt (ok, different blog topic) - so it would seem that Champions are Born to be Champions and the rest of us don’t stand a chance. We might as well stop trying and focus on being “good enough”. True?
False. I think that is actually hogwash and a recipe for mediocrity. I think what all these guys have that some of us lack is DESIRE. The Hunger to succeed. The raw, untoned, highly focused, deliberate, unfulfilled INTENTION to succeed. I recently read two books that talked about the same thing in two different ways. “Secrets” by Rhona Byrnes (www.thesecret.tv/) and “The Intention experiment” by Lynne McTaggart (www.theintentionexperiment.com/). Both these authors claim that you are who you want to be, and not what you are born as - it’s all about having the intention and desire to accomplish your goals. That’s why a Donald Trump or an Amithabh Bachchan can rise from bankruptcy to fame multiple times while most other people seek solace in mediocracy.
I remember an incident from when we first moved to So Cal about 4 years ago. My daughter Rayna had just started middle school in a new surrounding and had auditioned for a role as Cinderella for her school play along with 71 other girls. She said to us that night, “I really want to get that role because that’s how I’ll get to know more kids”. My wife and I encouraged her but wanted to set expectations by saying that they will most likely pick a blond, blue eyed Cinderella to fit that role. After all, it’s our job with kids to set expectations. Rayna had a burning passion and kept repeating that she wanted that role. They went from 71 auditions to 25, then to 10 and finally to 3. I can vividly remember the call I got on my cell phone as I had to step out of a rather important meeting and had Rayna screaming on the line saying .. “I got it Dad, I got it, I knew I would get it. I told you I would get it”. Now that is DESIRE. An unwavering belief that you will succeed despite all odds. Rayna went on to write a great column in a local newspaper titled “This Cinderella ain’t blond”.
So does this mean, with the right desire we can expect all our aspirations to come true? That’s all we need to do – is sit back and wish upon a star? Well, not really - the other ingredients are equally important…. Talent, Hard work (Tiger gets up early and putts 300 times before a game), a natural advantage of any kind, and of course dumb luck. But I believe that these are just table stakes that get you the permission to participate. To become a champion at whatever you do – you need DESIRE!!! And more importantly, Unwavering and genuinely Beckoning Desire.
Thoughts?
