Matthew McConaughey shares a story in his book Green Lights about a time he was backpacking Africa. He found himself being challenged publicly by the village wrestling champion.
Mr. McConaughey had no idea what the rules were or even why he was being challenged.
Without thinking the process through, he said yes!
The match ended after about 5 minutes of rolling in the dirt, with the Village Chief holding up both competitors’ arms. The crowd that was there to watch went crazy.
Matthew asked his guide after the jubilation settled down what happened, who won, and did I do okay?
The guide answered, “You won the minute You Accepted the Challenge”!
I have been thinking about this statement ever since and how profound it is.
Winning and losing is not about the result but the Journey. YOU MUST SAY YES.
You Win The Minute You Accept The next Challenge life presents you!
We miss out on so MUCH in life because we say NO to The Challenge.
The hardest part in life is not finishing the Race set before you; it is agreeing to be in the race in the first place!
Life has so much to offer us, but it comes hidden in The Challenge.
Think about all the times you said no because you were afraid to say yes.
You thought you were not up to The Challenge, did not have the experience, talent, skill, or some other opportunity robbing excuse!
Challenges are Opportunities in disguise. They are your road map to unleash your Purpose & Passion!
Many years ago, a mentor taught me to say YES to every Opportunity even if it scares you-know-what out of you.
A friend called me in a panic about two hours before a Funeral we were both attending and asked me to officiate the entire service.
He said the person who was supposed to do it had an emergency and they had no other options.
I was scared out of my mind but said Yes. My hands shook so badly that I had to hold the microphone with both hands.
Something Special happened about 10 minutes into the service. I realized that not only could I do this, but I was looking forward to the rest of the service!
Accepting that Challenge changed my life and launched me into the world of Public Speaking.
Up until that moment, I would have put my hand on the Bible and swore there was no way I could ever be a speaker.
You Win The Minute You Accept The next Challenge life presents you!
Prepare yourself because the next Challenge will SCARE YOU but do NOT let it BULLY YOU into saying No!
Challenge Accepted!
Find Your Passion…Find Your Life!