I always close out to my camps and clinics by reminding my campers that somebody else made it possible for them to be there, and that they owe that person(s) a thank you. I’ve found this to be true in all aspects of life though. I once read that every successful person has had at least 7 positive influences in his or her life.
Think about the people that have helped you along the way; in little ways or in big ways. Think about the people that have opened doors for you, or connected you with the person that opened the door for you. Think about the people that have helped you in a time of need.
Think about the people that CLOSED certain doors that forced you to focus, or find another door (perhaps the “correct” door). We cannot afford to forget those people. We’ve got to be grateful for them. And one way of showing gratitude is to pay it forward; to deliberately go about making sure that others are able to have the same or similar opportunities that we have had.
Toward the very end of my senior year at Brown, one of my freshmen teammates thanked me for looking out for him and being a great teammate and a great friend. It meant a lot, and I thanked him. But my advice to him was to remember that sentiment, and to make sure that when he graduated somebody would feel inclined to say the same thing to him.
Outside of your own, whose well being a success are you personally invested in? What person or persons do you look out for on a regular basis? Who have you helped to get to where you are in life (even if where you are is graduating from high school)? It’s not enough to go through life climbing the ladder. At some point, we should be reaching back to help somebody else along. Spend time this week, helping somebody get to where they want to be.
be easy
God bless.