The sports model of success is what I think all successful people operate by. In junior high everybody plays a sport, and usually several sports. I'll focus on football since it is America's biggest sport. Junior high students, small and large, fat and thin, white, brown and black all play. Then they all go to high school. Amazingly, only a portion play at the high school level, the good ones. Probably about half as many or fewer play because more than one junior high feeds a high school, and so competition is a notch above junior high. Then those players graduate. Some go on to college, the best. Probably around 20% of the high school players play for a college. After college, only a few become professional football players, maybe 5%. Those are the cream, the best of the best.
When a player makes the pros, he can see that there are levels even among them. Some of them wear superbowl rings or have Pro Bowl beside their names, the very best of them. But even among those elite, there is a single spot available for a league MVP, just one, the very best of the very best.
Successful people learn this sports principle as they experience life. At first everyone is a friend. Then, they see that not everyone can benefit their positions at school or on the job. So, they make a few cuts on the ones they allow themselves to be close to. It seems that with every passing year they notice that they need to surround themselves with better friends or significant others. They want a symbiotic relationship with other successful people. They want positive energy, not negative. They want cheerfulness, not sullenness. They want lifted spirits, not a denigrating aura. At some point, successful people surround themselves with only those on whom they can rely fully. They have friends or significant others that they trust, that they need, that they depend on. And usually people have an MVP.
I can't imagine going through life without looking around and seeing faces of those I trust, need, and depend on. It's been a process. But I have followed the model and found those who are the best of the best. They have great successes of their own that they offer our friendship or significant relationship.
And everyone has that reserved spot... for the best of the best of the best... of the best.
2 comments:
Nope. Didn't play any sports in junior high, high, college, or graduate school. Took up golf on occasion thereafter, just for fun. School sports was just to [expletive deleted] competitive. There was no fun in school sports. Doubt there is any fun in professional sports either for the best of the best. Big cuts coming to public education in Texas next year. Maybe they can axe all those unfun high school sports programs.
Our experiences were different about the sports, but the conflict on emphasis between education and sports is well documented. Education can be competitive but one rarely sees that today.
My main idea was that successful people sift and sort over time as they pick those they want to surround them. I don't know that the fun factor always applies in this process but satisfaction and enjoyment should result.
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