It's about getting in position and taking a swing. I don't care if you're taking steroids or not; if you don't do those two things, it's not going to matter anyway.
Interpretation
Success comes from being prepared and taking action, regardless of external factors.
In this quote, Tony Gwynn emphasizes the importance of being ready to take chances in order to achieve success. He suggests that it is crucial to put oneself in a position to act and to take decisive action, as merely relying on advantages such as performance-enhancing substances will not lead to success without effort and initiative.
In practice
In a motivational speech to young athletes.
I think the ability to hit - some guys have it and some guys don't - but I think how dedicated you are to trying to get the most out of yourself, I think kind of determines how good you are and for how long. I was born with the ability to hit, but my work ethic has taken it to the next level.
I'm coaching 'swing at this, don't swing at that,' and in the middle of it, a kid looks at me and says, 'Coach, I think I'm going to fail history.' Or maybe their girlfriend just dumped them. These are kids, and once I embraced that, this became a lot more fun.
Being successful doesn’t necessarily make you great. What makes you great is when you reach back and help somebody else become great.
In most cases, when people make more money, they get deeper in debt. This is why money alone does not make you rich.
There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.
Modern man is conditioned to expect instant gratification, but any success or triumph realized quickly, with only marginal effort, is necessarily shallow. Meaningful achievement takes time, hard work, persistence, patience, proper intent and self-awareness. The path to success is punctuated by failure, consolidation, and renewed effort.
The satisfaction to be derived from success in a great constructive enterprise is one of the most massive that life has to offer.
Anyone who has played the game professionally, you're always taught that the ball is the most important, most precious thing, so when the ball hits the ground, it's always a mad scramble. It's amazing how many times there is a fumble, and the person who recovers it initially doesn't walk away with the ball.
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