I PERSIST Without Exception

Continuing the Andy Andrews series...

Principle #7
I PERSIST WITHOUT EXCEPTION.

I must find a way where there is no way. This might be the most lacking topic in American culture today. I hear excuses all the time why someone can't do something. I 'cannot' do that really means I 'will not' do that. And I will do or not do whatever I tell myself. Amazing how we get in situations that we don't necessarily like...WE manifested them into place!!

An example that is on my mind...
We have become very lazy due to technology...so much to the point that I see 10 and 12 year-olds who are 20lbs overweight riding motorized scooters to the store 3 blocks from his/her house!! What happened to bikes? What happened to running/jumping/playing? Or how about this? Go to any ball field...football, baseball, soccer, whatever and tell me if you see any kids 'playing' and creating their own rules and games without the structure of organized team sports. My college strength coach called me the other day to tell me that he was sitting on the side of the road by a park where kids were playing pick-up football. Why is that special? BECAUSE YOU RARELY SEE IT!

That is the true sadness in our society. We witness feats (be it sport, job, skill) on an AWE-some level that really should be the norm. However, we have come to expect so little out of ourselves, that all of these so-called feats should not be a spectacle to us. That goes back to having 'participation' ribbons in sports of the 5-7 year old generation because it's a feel good give me a cookie because I showed up event. WRONG! Last time I checked life didn't hand out high school diplomas or college degrees just because you lived on campus? How about just because I show up for a job interview, I just get the job? What are we teaching our youth? What are we 'allowing' to happen in our society as a whole?

That got a little off topic but helping kids and the sad state of fitness in schools is one of my pet peeves and my goal is to change they way my local and state community views physical fitness. It boils down to this: OWN responsibility for yourself and no one else. Most people don't have to persist over anything because they don't hold themself to standard to go after anything bigger than themselves. Stand up for what you believe in. Dare something worthy! A great motto to start with heading into 2007. Go after a specific target that you want and PERSIST WITHOUT EXCEPTION.

The Buck Stops Here

Over the next few days I am going to revisit 7 Principles of Success by Andy Andrews. For those of you not familiar with Andrews, he is very accomplished in writing and speaking with his most notable work "The Traveler's Gift" which is where the 7 principles are taken from.

Principle #1
The buck stops here.

Take responsibility for ALL of your actions, not just a few of them. It is easy to make excuses and blame someone else. Blame is the absence of responsibility and responsibility is the absence of blame. Take control of your life. You determine your future regardless of your current life circumstances. Because of the field I am in, I have seen amazing physical transformations. What most don't see along with the physical comes the mental and spiritual transformations as well. When someone DECIDES to achieve something their entire being changes and is forced to transform. What in your life have you been making excuses for? Only YOU know and only YOU have the power to change.