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Do I have What It takes?

What am I made of? Do I have what it takes? I want to succeed, can I do it?

Let us attempt to answer your question, if you are willing to listen.

I don’t know you, but you tell me? So you have what it takes? Everyone wants to succeed, can you make the grade? What are you made of? Why should you care? Is it worth finding out? Well, it is interesting you ask this question. I myself have had to ask this question many times. Therefore I feel it appropriate for me to answer and assist you. And thank you for asking, because this is the first step in understanding self. Here is you answer to your question, what am I made? How can I find out?

It comes to others at different times in their lives. If you really want to know there are only a few ways. But all those ways require you pushing yourself to your limits. I myself was able to find out in athletic type activities, later in games of skill, racing, flying, politics and business. If you ever discuss this with a mountain climber, marathoner, entrepreneur, soldier after a battle, politician, student finishing their PhD paper; they will be able to tell you better than anyone else. You can experience these things through many events.

I have talked to actors, debate students, chess champions, card players, leaders, heroes, Olympic medallists, fighter pilots, corporate titans and pro golfers, tennis players, fishermen, football players, soccer players, baseball players, etc. Depending on your sphere of experiences you will find many people of young ages who can tell you the answer as they push themselves on skateboards, debate class, making the football team, surviving the most recent relationship that week or even achieving the grade or parental acceptance. The trick is when you experience these things to realize their value. In my life I have tried to cross raging rivers, run marathons, worked to beat a personal best in track, rode a bicycle from Oregon to Mexico, run in an election, took 33 units in one semester at two different colleges in at one time, climbed mountains, grown a business and many other things.

The more things you do the more strength of character you will feel and the stronger the self. This is important to your healthy consciousness and mental condition. I will not attempt to pretend I am an expert of motivation, but as most people listed above, I like you am the greatest motivator of myself. When you are crossing a river or swimming across an open channel of ocean, climbing a mountain, running a marathon, riding a bike over 200 miles in one sitting, lots goes though your mind. You then will look inside to ask yourself;

“How tough am I?”

“Can I do this?”

“Do I have what it takes?”

It is similar to the little train which said in the story; I think I can, I think I can. Some people will ask God to help them find the strength to accomplish whatever it is they attempt. Either way it is during these times of self induced adversity or times of battle, that you can determine the answer to your question. A person who pushes him or herself again and again can develop an incredible strength of character. People like Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, Arnold Swarznegger, Magic Johnson, Wayne Gretsky in sports can tell you this along with the former sports stars who later become motivators and teachers like Vince Lombardi who has the famous quote:

“WHAT IT TAKES TO BE NUMBER 1”

"Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all the time thing. You don’t win once in a while; you don’t do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing. There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game, and that’s first place. It is and always has been an American zeal to be first in everything we do, and to win, and to win, and to win. It is a reality of life that men are competitive and the most competitive games draw the most competitive men. That’s why they are there - - to compete. To know the rules and objectives when they get in the game. The objective is to win fairly, squarely, by the rules - - but to win. I believe in God, and I believe in human decency. But I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour - - his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear - - is that moment when he has to work his heart out in a good cause and he’s exhausted on the field of battle - - victorious."

Vincent Lombardi

Beating the odds, over coming adversity, adapting to any situation and having the strength of character to never give up is an incredible tool for your self and your mind, but it does not come for free. If you possess such talents, vision, commitment, dedication and perseverance then you are an incredible asset to this country, your family and too the world. There are few who possess such levels of strength of character. If you have it you will know it. And to others, who have it they will recognize it almost instinctively if you have it. For you now share a common bond with the best of the species. It is a sense of presence that you have in your step, in your speech, in your breath. As you reach higher and higher levels, you will find fewer and fewer who possess these levels. It is important that we notice these traits in others and allow those who are in need of getting to the next level our expertise.

The question do you have what it takes cannot be answered by me or anyone else except you and it can only be answered during or right after such incredible achievement at that time and place. If you really want to know the answer you have to take some risks and go for it. Whatever “It” is not as important as what you are about.

The greatest traits of such individuals seeking to develop themselves are Perseverance and the realization that you cannot give up.

Winston Churchill said;

“Never, ever, ever, ever, ever give up.”

If you will remember the movie “Gatica” the so-called genetically inferior brother out swam the superior genetically made sibling, who could not make it back to shore. He did not have the drive or will. How could this happen? Well, because he had not developed what we are talking about here. Remember Rocky against the Russian super body boxer? Same thing.

Calvin Coolidge said about perseverance;

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

If you have seen movies such as Karate Kid, St. Elmos Fire, Vision Quest, etc. capture our sense of self and determination. Movies like “Ants, Matrix, etc also are so well liked by audiences because of their underlining themes of self, self determination and strength of character against the odds, challenges and world, even mother nature. This is why surfers, mountain climbers, marathoners, pilots, sail boaters, etc. often have a deeper sense of their abilities and the power of nature and their strength to meet those incredible forces. When on top of a mountain you have just climbed or half way through crossing a river or channel or in the middle of a marathon, it is as if the mountain, Earth or water is asking you, okay so who are you? Who are you to challenge these forces? What makes you think you can perform? What makes you think you can do this? What do you stand for? Who are you? Are you sure you can do this, why are you doing this?

It is at that point you will reach a sense of self and you will be able to answer your question. The more you do this the stronger your strength of character will be and the more reality based you will become in your ability to predict your limits, test those limits, expand those limits and achieve more for yourself, your family, your country, your race and children of the world. While others are living in fear, embroiled in contrived controversy to keep the natives restless and under control, you will be able to tower above it all, accepting any challenge, reject defeat and become victorious in what you seek. It is not as difficult as you might think. Truly there is nothing that you cannot do. There is nothing that is impossible. No one can get you to believe you are a failure without you expressed consent. As long as you have earned and believe through experience that you have what it takes, then you do. If your experiences have yet to bring you to this point you have not experienced all you can or challenged yourself enough.

I remember once visiting a toastmasters club meeting and I thought that I could use some help in public speaking, yet once there I could see that I was needed as an instructor not a student, thus I taught and looked for someone more experienced to teach me for my own needs and for those I returned the favor. If you wish to master a line of thought, skill, talent and better yourself. You must work hard, be disciplined and never give up. You will soon find what you are looking for. I no longer have such questions, but I see others do. Once you have reached this point or if you believe you are about to attempt to. Go ahead and email me. I would rather associate with winners, like you.

Lance Winslow, a retired entrepreneur, adventurer, modern day philosopher and perpetual tourist.

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