It's not human nature to be great. It's human nature to survive, to be average and do what you have to do to get by. That is normal. When you have something good happen, it's the special people that can stay focused and keep paying attention to detail, working to get better and not being satisfied with what they have accomplished.
Interpretation
True greatness requires focus and effort beyond mere survival.
This quote emphasizes that being great is not a natural state for humanity; instead, most people tend to settle for mediocrity as they strive to survive. It highlights the importance of dedication, attention to detail, and the continuous pursuit of improvement, suggesting that greatness is achieved by those who remain committed and unsatisfied with the status quo.
In practice
During a motivational speech at a leadership conference.
I don't want people to think I'm not happy when we win - I am. But there's a difference between being happy for the feeling of accomplishing something and being overjoyed and feeling, 'This is it - we conquered the world.' We didn't. We just won a game.
I don't believe you name a starter until the starter wins the team.
People talk about you won four national championships. Well, I feel like we've had good enough teams to win eight. So I feel like we failed four times. I feel like I failed four times.
What happened yesterday is history. What happens tomorrow is a mystery. What we do today makes a difference - the precious present moment.
When I talk about a successful program, define that. It's not just winning the national championship every year because nobody can do that.
I think the worst thing a player can do is just not be yourself.
The GREATEST battle you wage against FAILURE occurs on the INSIDE, not the OUTSIDE.
My ambition is not to be just a good fighter. I want to be great, something special.
I just figured out that if I gave my all into this game - if I put everything into the fight business - then I would eventually run the fight business.
If you have enough push, you don't have to worry about the pull.
The most pernicious aspect of procrastination is that it can become a habit. We don't just put off our lives today; we put them off till our deathbed. Never forget: This very moment, we can change our lives. There never was a moment, and never will be, when we are without the power to alter our destiny. This second we can turn the tables on Resistance. This second, we can sit down and do our work.
You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.
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