No, we don't control who our parents are. We don't control what color we are. We don't control what home we are born into. But we control our attitude. We control our work ethic. We control our drive and our commitment.
Interpretation
We can't choose our circumstances, but we can choose our responses and efforts.
This quote emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility and self-determination. While we may not have control over many aspects of our lives, such as our heritage or family background, we do have the power to shape our own attitudes, work ethic, and commitment, which are critical for achieving our goals and defining our path in life.
In practice
In a school graduation speech to inspire students to take charge of their futures.
I always tell people, good coaches are a dime a dozen. Good coaches that are good people, good husbands, good fathers, that love their players and are passionate about doing things in a way that I believe is important, that pool gets real small.
The key to coaching is love. It's not knowledge; it's not discipline. If you love 'em, you can discipline them. If you love 'em, you can yell at them and laugh about it later.
Only by coming to grips with difficulty can you realize your full potential.
They may be smarter than you. They may have more money than you. They may come from a different city or a better family. But they can NEVER outwork you. And they can NEVER outprepare you. And they just can't outpractice you. And that's why you'll win.
I am lucky that whatever fear I have inside me, my desire to win is always stronger.
The number one cause of failure in this country is the fear of failure.
Therefore, as a player, as a coach, even though we might have lost in a season or not won a championship, it was like a self-fulfilling prophecy that I'm going to win some time. I've never felt myself a loser.
Life takes on meaning when you become motivated, set goals and charge after them in an unstoppable manner.
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