Giving the Best of your Ability
As I leave the ground to soar through the air, I methodically maneuver around large bodies to put the ball through the hoop. When I land, my legs begin to burn as if the cells in every vein are exploding consistently. My whole body aching with harsh pain, crying, like it were telling me, “ Please give up, I can’t take it any more”, but that doesn’t stop me. My mind, hearts, and soul are still in fight back mode, ready to keep competing until I collapse and fall back without a doubt knowing I truly left everything on the court.
To me this is a big step in the road to success. But what is success? What are the terms taken to find such a matter? How can someone know if another had become successful? I believe when you know you’ve given it all you had and did the best to your ability, you’ll definitely find success. In the words of former UCLA coach John Wooden, “Success comes from knowing that you did your best that you are capable of becoming.”
What coach Wooden said reflects my belief on being successful and influences my everyday life. I have a strong drive to be successful and I am utterly determined and eagerly motivated to do so. As a child I had always dreamed of being a professional basketball player because to me, being a star meant being successful. But I know that to succeed is much more then achieving celebrity status. The qualities and personalities that are packaged with success are of a much bigger image. My personal trainer and family friend Rich Quon always told me, “Success is measured in effort”. So every time I am faced with a challenge, I give it a hundred and ten percent efforts. This helps get closer to what I need to accomplish in order to be successful, because I know I gave it all and I have no doubt that that was enough.