I was never the guy who was going to grow up to be a
professional athlete. I was somewhat
athletic, but attending a large high school, I learned early on that I wasn’t
on the athletic level of a lot guys I knew.
I wasn’t that guy. But, over the
years I have had the good fortune of knowing a few professional athletes: An NFL Running back and Cornerback, a MLB
Pitcher, and an NBA Small Forward. I
really look up to these men. It’s
impressive to me the level of success they’ve been able to accomplish.
Thinking about those men, I realized that each of them has
one thing in common – one trait that helped make them the men they became.
I’m serious. If
you sat these guys in a room and told them their job was to build a structure
out of Legos, they would attempt to create the most glorious edifice you’ve
ever seen. They would put everything
they have into it. Here’s the interesting
thing though…they probably don’t love Legos.
I’m pretty sure Legos aren’t their passion. Who knows, they may even hate them. But it wouldn’t matter. It wouldn’t matter because they have all
bought into a similar life philosophy. Anything
they set their minds to do, they attack it with the intensity of a runaway
freight train. It’s ingrained in
them. It’s who they are. It’s how they rose to the level of success
they achieved. It’s how they approach
life. They work.
I see a lot of young people with big dreams but no work
ethic. They rely on their talent to get
them by which only takes them so far.
They work hard on the things they care about, but let other things slip
by offering little or no effort. Big
dreams require big work. And a strong
work ethic comes from giving your all in everything you do. If it’s worth doing, then do it right.
Whatever you do,
work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you
will receive the inheritance as your reward. ~ Colossians 3:23-24
