No 11 Changing Lives through Dancing
By David Earl Woodbury
Friday, March 17, 2017
“That is why I succeed”
“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan (1963) American Basketball Star
It has been reported that this quote from Thomas Edison was in response to a New York Times Reporter’s question: “I have not failed 10,000 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 10,000 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”
In life, we all want to hit home runs, but fear keeps us from achieving our goals. To hit over the fences, we must be willing to strike out. Consider Babe Ruth. In 1923, he broke the record for most home runs in a season and also broke the record for the highest batting average. Imagine this, also in 1923, Babe Ruth struck out more times than any other player in Major League Baseball.
Babe Ruth was fearless and not afraid to strike out. He held world records for 60 home runs in a season then a lifetime home run total of 714 for 39 years. Get this, for 29 years he held a career record of 1,330 strike outs! What his amazing career proved is that you cannot have home runs without strikeouts.
Do you feel as if you are failing? Are you blue and feeling like life is not working? May I suggest that you compare your “strike outs” to your “home runs”. Sit down and write down your success for the week, the month, or your life to now. List how you have made a difference in some else’s life. Perhaps you helped someone in a special way. Perhaps you were a good ear to someone who was sad. List the good things you did and meditate on these things and give thanks for the opportunity to help and serve others.
Today’s world is so quick to call someone a failure, so slow to give someone praise. The opera star who is an overnight sensation after 20 years of work, the Carnegie Hall solo recitalist who is suddenly a new star after a lifetime of practice. The World Series Champions and Super Bowl winners who have spent season after season practicing to be the best. The reward will come. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Keep on keeping on and you’ll be in the winner’s circle before you know it.
Mr. Jacques DeBeve sent me this today:
Someone once said: What goes around comes around.
Work like you don’t need the money.
Love like you’ve never been hurt.
Dance like nobody’s watching.
Sing like nobody’s listening.
Live like it’s Heaven on Earth.
Thank you for reading!
David Earl Woodbury
Keep on Dancing!