Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Success: How Badly Do You Want It?


The week's Trifecta concerns the lovely little word, "lucky".  Hopefully, I have created something that isn't too cringe-worthy for you all to read.   The man in the video I have included speaks better about this topic that I probably do so enjoy.  :)



Success: How Badly Do You Want It?

How badly
                  do YOU
                                 want it?

How great is the journey
                                     from who,
                                                     you are,
                                     to who,
                                                     you wish to become?

Buy a better mirror?
Exchange silver and gold for the secrets of seers?
Sprinkle good deeds in a garden of hope?

At what point can you achieve success?

The answer lay
                        at the end
                                       of rainbows
                                                         that shipwrecked souls
                                                                                             bear witness.
As lungs flood and blood courses,
arms flail and hands grasp
                                       for salvation on a sword's tip.

That rainbow's treasure is revealed in all its' glory.

One last breath.
One last heartbeat.

At that moment when you recognize the value
                                                                    of one last breath,
                        when you would perform any task
                                                 combat any obstacle
                                                 deny yourself
                                                                     the luxury of excuses


                         when you would do absolutely anything
                                                                                     just to have
                                                                                                       one last breath
Then,
you have achieved
wisdom from that greatest of teachers;
Failure.

There is nothing lucky about success.

How badly
                 do YOU
                               want it?
                         
                          

23 comments:

  1. I think this is a major philosophical point - that sucess is the new normal, and it takes a lot of prisoners..

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  2. Many of the roadblocks are self-imposed, in my opinion. I'm my own best example. If I made writing the number one priority in my life, chances are reasonably good that I would be a better writer than I am. But, how badly do I want to be a successful writer? Well, not badly enough that I would put it ahead of fatherhood and marriage and, even, teaching. Until I remove my own roadblocks and want it as badly as my last breath, my writing will only ever be so successful. Thanks for stopping by, Euan. I appreciate your comment.

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  3. Yes indeed, the pursuit of success is often pursued ruthlessly and at what cost?

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    1. You can be anything you want, if that is all you want to be. It is tough to be the best and be the best at multiple things.

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  4. Someone, I think Dr. Phil (cringe) said something that stuck with me. He (I think) said, "You can do anything, as long as you're willing to sacrifice everything." I wanted to go to med school. And then I had babies and realized that if I missed one damn preschool performance, I'd go mental. It's all about choices.

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    1. Dr. Phil watcher, are you? I promise not to hold that against you. :) Right now, I'm happy be the best family man I can and the best teacher, too. When I retire in a few years, I'll focus on beign a better writer. But, for now, for me, when my girls and my wife are happy to see me at the end of our respective work days then, I feel that my life is successful. Can't ask for more than that.

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    2. I'll dedicate myself to being a better typer/speller, too. :) Geesh!

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  5. I honestly think about this , in one way or another, almost every day. How badly do I want? Whatever it is.
    I love the way you wrote this, I truly enjoyed the rhythm of it, the wonderful way you presented it.

    the truth, if I died tomorrow , I would have some regrets and that makes me sad. I want to do SO much, but I also know that what I have, right now, is more than most..it's sweet and wonderful, some of it (the boys) are miracles no doubt. I want to get to a place where I am grateful for all of that.

    as usual I come here and this post will stay with me for days. :)

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  6. I am happy that my writing offers you something each time out. That means a lot to me. Your consistently positive words to me, ever since I have been involved with Trifecta, mean the world to me, too. :)

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  7. Nice philosophical romp across the 'page', Tom! Nice.

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    1. Yeah.....I don't know what to tell you about that. Honestly. Sometimes, the words just place themselves. Somehow, where the words ended up is where they seemed best suited to be. I wanted to allow myself to write outside my regular style and this poem is how it all turned out. What can I say? :)

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  8. Everything in this world comes at a sacrifice, great or small. We give up our single freedom to get married, to raise a family. Our call. Our pleasure time limited to 2 days in the week. Yes someone has to pay the bills. We sacrifice our wants for our children. We go without so they can have. We sacrifice our time to care for elderly parents. Because this is how it should be. I suppose what it boils down to is we sacrifice because we have to or wish too and what is the cost? Be happy in the moment and what you have and sacrifice what only you need to. Having the world at your feet will not make up for having another breath. This is a thought provoking and beautiful post Tom Thank you so much and sorry for my ramblings.

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    1. You never have to apologize for what you write. I appreciate the thoughtfulness of your comments. I am glad that you understood the philosophical debate I was attempting to instigate with this piece. Is it ok to be happy being less than "the best"? If not, are you prepared to sacrifice everything else to be that "best"? Because, to be "the best" takes a level of focus and personal commitment that I have never experienced before. Not sure if I could go where I'd need to go. Is that ok? Hope so. :)

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  9. If motivational speakers spoke like you write, I might be able to bear their lectures (: You did a great job with the prompt!

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    1. Thanks, Draug! I always walk that fine line in class. I ride the kids like a jockey down the stretch in order to squeeze that last bit of polish to their work and their attitudes. But, at the same time, I remember what it was like to be entering your teens. I remember being more interested in girls than in whatever lesson the teacher was going on about. I do have doses of empathy that I apply liberally to the kids as well. How much do I will them to be a success.....as much as they can bear without being unhappy. If they leave my classroom at the end of the year having had a year of positive growth then, they may not be "the best" but, they will be a success. I can't ask for more than that as a teacher.

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  10. That was great Tom very charged moves in om you like a freight train.

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    1. Thanks, Sam! Jusr curious.....what part of Canada are you from? Not that I'm going to drop by your house ro anything but, just wondering. :)

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  11. Wow Tom. This is great. So thoughtful. Ironic though, since how many of us learn from failure? Skimming the comments, I'd love nothing more than to be a good writer and guitar player when I retire.

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  12. Thanks, Lumdog. Reirement seems like a wonderful that awaits just around the bend. Hopefully, it won't just be one big bore! :) I've got big plans. I'd love to sing. Maybe we could team up?

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  13. Philosophical and Inspiring .. but it makes me think many times - what is it's worth after that one last breath!

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    1. THank you for your comments. I deeply appreciate them! I agree with your sentiment. After the final breath, it only matters to those left behind. :)

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  14. I like this a lot. Success is such a complicated thing because it means different things for different people. To me, it's not my job title, the 'stuff' I acquire, or even the money in my bank account. I measure my success each day by the feeling in my stomach each night when I go to sleep. Yesterday was not a success, but today could be. I doubt I'll ever know the kind of success you wrote about that demands such sacrifice; I'll never conquer the world. That's okay, as long as I make a difference in my world :)

    By the way, I wanted to let you know that you sound like a great teacher. Your passion for it can be felt when you write about the kids, and I'm sure the kids feel it, too. I had very few teachers with genuine enthusiasm, but I still remember those who did. You are making a difference in those kids' world - that's what I call a HUGE success.

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    1. Thanks and shucks! That was all awfully nice of you to say. All I can do is to do my best for the kids and hope that they absorb some of what I share with them in ways that help them be better, happier people when they grow up. I have a lot of former students as Facebook friends. They are going off to university or travelling the world or getting married or starting careers and buying homes, etc. It is nice to see them do well and to have them still value their association with me. Teaching is a rewarding job, for sure.
      As for this post, I had Kobe Bryant in mind when I began. He is legendary for the length and thoroughness of his workouts; thousands of jump shots, hours of cardio, a team of trainers, assistants, etc., to help maximize his time so he is as completely prepared to play basketball as he can be. That amount of focus and dedication is astounding to me. I was reading a blog about his shooting warmup regiment when I came across the video that I included. It all made me wonder how I would have to change my life to be like someone like Kobe Bryant and if I would really want to do what I'd have to do to be like that. For now, I am happy being a little old teacher from Cobourg, Ontario, Canada. Thanks, again, for your kind words. :)

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