After 42 years of futility, after one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history, and just a few years after fans wore bags on their heads, the New Orleans Saints are today the best team in football.
To me, the story is a metaphor for the principle of never giving up on your dream.
Somewhere in our hearts we all harbor a serious dream. Something that would separate us from the pack ... that would put an exclamation mark on the life we lead.
For many of us, that dream falls by the wayside as life takes over. The demands, the pressures, the realities of living can really get in the way of serious dreams.
But, some people just won't let go. They just keep putting one foot in front of the other as they struggle to move toward winning their own personal Super Bowl.
I have devoured hundreds of biographies. I have been close to some super successful people. I have read almost all the self-improvement books. And here is what I have concluded about winning your own Super Bowl:
Winning is unpredictable, losing is totally predictable.
There is no sure path for the realization of your dreams. You can do everything right, make all the smart moves, work very very hard and still not hit the ball out of the park. There are just too many variables - some within your control, some not.
But, on the other hand, there's a 1,000% sure fire way to lose your Super Bowl. And that's simple: if you pull back at all, if you stop feeding your dream with every ounce of strength you have, if you start taking shortcuts ... well then, game over.
I'd like to end with one of my favorite quotes. It was said by President Teddy Roosevelt about 100 years ago:
"It's not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, who face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
Jim Randel is the founder of The Skinny On book series. These books are receiving enormous critical acclaim from educators, bloggers, journalists and reviewers. Jeff Kindler, CEO/Chmn of Pfizer had this to say about Randel's latest book, The Skinny on Success: "as far as reading goes, this book is as good as it gets."