Luck is the most overrated word in the English Language. It poisons the souls of millions of people around the world and I'm on a mission to cure the Greater Philadelphia/South Jersey Region. The following is a 100% true story...
Luck is the most overrated word in the English Language. It poisons the souls of millions of people around the world and I'm on a mission to cure the Greater Philadelphia/South Jersey Region. The following is a 100% true story:
When I was 18 years old there were two moments that helped shape my life. They happened within a week of each other, and I had no idea what their impact would be... I only know now looking back. It's funny how LIFE WORKS FOR US.
A few people know this... most don't. I was rejected from every college (Rowan, Penn State, Elizabethtown, Kutztown, Temple, West Chester, St. Joe's) I applied to but one: York College of Pennsylvania, home of the Spartans. It came with a catch: they only allowed me to take 12 credits that first semester to make sure I wouldn't screw it up. I had to hand it to YCP... these people knew what they were dealing with.
My first class was Study Skills with Mr. Ronald Trimmer. I reported to class and, in particular ADD/ADHD fashion, planted myself in the center aisle, first seat. I've always known about my challenges to pay attention and somehow, I've always been able to make the wise choice to sit in a place where I had the greatest chance of success... the front row. Mr. Trimmer was an older fella, a retired middle school principal, dressed in a suit and tie. He had a smile on his face and was an unapologetic Tarheels fan. You couldn't help but like him.
He knew what he was dealing with, 20 freshmen, first class, first day, Study Skills = Not Rocket Scientists.
He greeted us, asked up to introduce ourselves one by one. He then looked at us, always smiling, and simply stated once sentence that was instrumental in changing my life:
"I'm going to make this easy: The Harder You Work In Life, The Luckier You'll Get. It's Just That Easy and All You Have To Do Is Believe Me."
There's one thing I'm quite certain about: it probably had zero effect on the 19 other people in the room, but for me. It was if he was swinging a bag of rocks over his head and unloaded it on my skull. It was everything my mother and father had been trying to teach me for 18 years and it took Mr. Trimmer exactly 6 minutes to have an impact. Why is this? Why did I not see it for so long? Mom/Dad, I'm sorry.
I've come to realize it was my first true experience with GRATITUDE. Just three months earlier I was staring down the barrel of not going away to school... to be the only one of my friends who didn't get accepted to a four-year college. It was humiliating to share rejection letter after rejection letter while everyone else was being accepted. I remember thinking, "Please GOD, just give me the chance!" So, when I was accepted I WAS GOING TO MAKE THE MOST OF MY OPPORTUNITY. From that moment I took this mentality and applied it to EVERYTHING IN MY LIFE. That same week I walked on as one of only two freshmen to the baseball team under two conditions: "If you want to be on this team you better outwork everyone and cut your f'ing hair/lose the earring." Yes sir.
I gave myself over to the BELIEF IN THE PROCESS of life at York College: do as your told, these people care about you, they are trying to teach you. Working hard all the time pays off every time; you just have to keep doing it every day. Looking back, I realize how pivotal this point was in my life. I could have skipped class that morning. I could have told the coach, "Dude, my hair is my identity… no way!" Nope, I thought I'm here by the skin of my teeth and I'm going to do everything I can to not only stay here, but to SUCCEED here. I think this is important for all of us to RIGHT NOW. Think about everything you have in life at this point (not about the stuff you don't have) and BE GRATEFUL for it. If you want more in LIFE, then you need to work harder. Whether it’s getting faster in races, or finally getting promoted on the job, "THE HARDER YOU WORK THE LUCKIER YOU'LL GET." I'm living proof.
