It Doesn't Matter Where You Start

On January 6, 2016, Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Griffey enters as the only No. 1 overall draft pick ever elected to the Hall. He was the No. 1 overall choice in 1987, drafted by the Seattle Mariners. The son of a successful major league great, and no doubt the top prospect entering the draft, his selection was a surprise to no one.

Piazza enters as the lowest draft pick to ever gain election. He was the 1,390th choice in 1988, going to the Dodgers in the 62nd round. This selection was more a favor to Piazza's dad, who was friends with Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, than anything related to his ability.

I love to study successful people, to learn more about their path to the top and find nuggets to use in my own life and for those I mentor.

Reaching the Hall of Fame, there is obviously a wealth of lessons in the stories of Griffey and Piazza. A fan of baseball myself, I remember their entry into the major leagues and followed both of their careers. (And of course, I have their rookie cards!) From a baseball perspective, there is no question both are worthy of this honor.

As I begin to reflect on this latest milestone for both, though, I am drawn to their starting point. Drawn to day 1, when they were drafted by their respective teams.

For Griffey, part of the lesson is more in the fact that no other number 1 pick has yet made it to the Hall of Fame than the career of Griffey himself.  I do believe that two years from now, in the 2018 election, first overall pick Chipper Jones will be eligible for the Hall and deserves selection on the first ballot!

But starting with Rick Monday as the first pick in 1965, there were 22 players selected in the number 1 slot prior to Griffey. Each player was deemed the top prospect available to their respective teams that year. For most, you could see at least the potential for a Hall of Fame career.

It’s as if all of these players were put on third base with nobody out, with a myriad of ways to score.

Why, then, was Griffey the first and only to make it home?

For Piazza, I was amazed by his story when he made it to the majors in September of 1992, and into his first full rookie season of 1993. Yes, he had the favor of Tommy Lasorda on his side from the start. But the effort was all his. He had to switch from first base to catcher, learning a whole new position (and in my mind the most difficult) for a better shot at the majors. He needed significant improvements to his hitting.

He had to rise from the obscurity of almost 1400 others selected that year - and a similar number of prospects in the years prior and thereafter - to earn his shot in the major leagues.

Like so many others, it was as if Piazza was constantly at the plate down two strikes against the best of the best. But he took his swings, and no matter the result he learned from each at bat and stepped up to the plate again. And again. And again.

Making it to the majors as a 62nd round pick? Seriously? And then, to have a Hall of Fame career? Who does that?

There are plenty of lessons in the careers of both Griffey and Piazza, and I’ll continue to reflect on each in the days ahead. But given the fact that they were the only two elected this year, as far removed from each other as possible, my first lesson is fairly obvious.

It doesn’t matter where you start – it’s all about what you do with the opportunity you have been given.

(Photo courtesy of Paul Howe/SN Illustration Getty Images)

A Precious Life - Tony P.

This past Sunday, I delivered the following eulogy to honor my brother's life, and to provide perspective for the rest of us.

We shared a special bond, one that few brothers are blessed to enjoy. Many of you have already shared with me some amazing stories about how he touched your life as well.

Thank you for all of your support, thoughts and prayers.

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There are only two naturally innate fears – the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. The rest are learned. They say the #1 learned fear is public speaking, and #2 is death. Go figure, he gives me the harder one…

I’m actually not afraid of speaking, but I’m afraid that I’m not prepared to talk today. I’m not prepared at all. I should not be standing up here. This day came way too soon. But I am honored to be speaking on my brother’s behalf. He has now faced death head on, ending a long and courageous fight.

You may know him as Tony, or Anthony. I always called him Ant.

This is such a sad day for all of us. We have lost a brother, a husband, a son, a father, a relative, a friend. We have lost a true original. I was not the only person at the visitation last night expecting Ant to open his eyes and flash a smile.

This is such a happy day for Ant. He is in the comforting arms of the Father. He put his faith in Jesus many years ago, providing a beautiful testimony at his baptism. He was a great man, and was always striving to be a better man. Like all of us, he did not live a perfect life – before, or after, that day. But through his faith his sins were washed clean by the blood of Jesus.

If you don’t have that faith, get it.

Anyone who has known Ant for a long time remembers a lively, vibrant man. Whether a joke, a skit, or a comment that no one else would think – or dare – to make, you often found yourself shaking your head in disbelief, but laughing to the point of pain and tears.

He often asked why he was given all the bad breaks when it came to his health. He had a lot of them. But he kept his spirit for a long time, and in that he was an inspiration.

In James 1, it says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

My brother is now complete. He is in a glorified body, free of all the sickness he experienced here.

One personal note: Mom – I do get the last word - Anthony broke the Dresden figurine.

On by brother’s tombstone, it will say June 24, 1963, the date of his birth. Then there will be a dash. Then it will say October 16, 2013, the date he left us. That dash represents his life. It represents what we are remembering about him today.

If you’ve attended a funeral service before, you may have heard a challenge about life. A challenge about the value of time, the fact that you are not guaranteed a tomorrow. What did you do when you heard that message?  Anything?

You are faced with that same message today. What are you going to take from Tony’s passing? What are you going to do differently today? What real changes are you going to make in your life?

If there is a dream to chase, I’m going to chase it.

If there is something to say, I’m going to say it.

If there is a friendship to repair, I will make the first move.

Frankly, someday may not come. You may hear that there’s always tomorrow – eventually, there is not.

You see, I think we will experience two very different feelings when we face our Lord. As a believer, the first will be the joy of an eternal relationship in the presence of God. The second? I believe we will be shown everything more that we were capable of doing. For many, that will be a very wide, and very sad, gap.

The older I get, the more I meet people my age who express regret for the way they’ve lived their lives.  Sometimes it’s what they have done; more often, it’s what they haven’t.

D.L. Moody said, "Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn't really matter.”

Let me ask you. What is your passion? What is the purpose of your life?

Are you a consumer, or a producer?

Is your life adding value to the lives of others?

Do you have a mission – a passion?  And do you have the courage to chase it?

I’ve seen firsthand the difference living with passion – living out a mission – has made in people’s lives.  When you are in pursuit of a mission, it’s unmistakable to the people around you. It transforms everyone around you. It’s infectious.  It fills them with the same passion, the same energy.

How does your family see you, every night when you return home from the battle? Even in the toughest of days, do you wear a smile knowing you were in pursuit of your passion? Can your family see it in your eyes?  Can you stand in front of your family and say you gave your all?

Turning that around just a bit can be very convicting… Can your children, perhaps your spouse, say they’ve seen you give your all for them?

You are not guaranteed tomorrow – Ant thought he had more tomorrows.

I wish he did. I miss him. I know you do as well.

What will you do with that feeling? Find what drives you, and chase it.

The great men and women of history were not great because of what they earned and owned. They were great because they gave themselves to people and causes that lived beyond them.

When the paratroopers jumped into Normandy in June 1944, did you know that some men refused to jump? Can you imagine what it was like, the rest of these men’s lives, because of their fear, their refusal to jump? They lived on. But it was said that their lives ended the moment they refused to leave the plane.

We all will die in the end – there’s no excuse to die in the middle! Everyone has to pay one way or another.  You can give into your fears and pay with your life; or you can pay the price of overcoming your fears and live.  It’s your choice.

Sometimes, all the inspiration you need falls into one simple question.  When you reach the end, what story do you want to tell?  When you are gone, what story will others be telling?

Please, in honor of my brother, make a commitment today to live each day to the fullest. When you think of him tomorrow, ask yourself if you’re honoring the commitment you made today.

Inspiration for the Battle

I've assembled several of my favorite quotes - those that inspire my pursuit of a self-directed education. I hope they serve as inspiration for you as well!

“What we do on some great occasion will probably depend on what we already are; and what we are will be the result of previous years of self discipline.”

- H. P. Liddon

“You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons or the wind, but you can change yourself.”

- Jim Rohn

“Everyone is looking for a quick fix, but what they really need is fitness. People who look for fixes stop doing what’s right when pressure is relieved. People who pursue fitness do what they should no matter what the circumstances are.”

- Kevin Myers

“You want to set a goal that is big enough that in the process of achieving it you become someone worth becoming.”

- Jim Rohn

“The time to prepare isn’t after you have been given the opportunity. It’s long before that opportunity arises. Once the opportunity arises, it’s too late to prepare.”

- John Wooden

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the things you did.”

- Mark Twain

“The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”

- Michelangelo

“More often than not, the only thing between you and your dream is a rational excuse.”

- Mark Batterson, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day

A Self-Directed Education – Your Greatest Investment

I had always thought that my education ended with the formal "school system" process; information that someone else delivered, a curriculum leading to a diploma that someone would bestow upon me. Information that would prepare me for life.

Sure, I would eventually learn the skills required to succeed in my profession, and perhaps different skills from job to job. But I truly thought that the core of my education was over.

What I learned (pun intended) was that it had never ended. Instead, it was stronger than ever. I discovered that every day, often many times a day, I was learning from someone. Perhaps it was someone from the radio, television, or movies. Perhaps it was a co-worker, a buddy, or even a stranger. I was absorbing information. I was absorbing different ways of thinking. That information, repeated over time, formed my guiding principles and my life roadmap. Bottom line, it defined my worth.

My worth? Hold on, that one was a bit of a stretch. My diploma drove my worth, and my natural movement up the corporate ladder would drive my future worth. I'm not sure where along the way I learned that, but over time I found how untrue that would be.

What I instead learned was a critical guiding principle... that we are all compensated based on the size of the problems we are able to solve. Seriously? Yes. And by coincidence, I discovered it by reading new materials intended to develop such expertise.

The problem? The current information that represented my "education" was teaching me negative thinking, poor habits, lack of discipline. I was listening to complaints about the company and the inequities of the system. I was hearing that I was doing pretty good - certainly good enough. I had no time or concern for addressing the areas that were holding me back. That was lowering, not adding to, my value.

From the neck down, we are all minimum wage. That's a strong statement. The first time I heard it, it was a very convicting statement. While going about my work, I had never contemplated my value. I never contemplated my potential value. In my current position, I was being compensated based on the worth of the job I was performing. Indeed, for the size of the problems I was solving. It was my value in that role. But what was I doing to enhance that value, whether applied in that role or a future opportunity? What was I doing to exert value outside of my assigned role?

Added value comes from critical thinking, from knowledge put into action, and from the ability to influence. Even greater value comes from leverage and duplication. That added value produces profit and growth. Most often, it translates to the "soft skills." Leadership skills, if you would.

John Maxwell contends that "Leadership is influence - nothing more, nothing less."

One of my mentors shared a quote attributed to Charlie "Tremendous" Jones that, for me, made the ultimate connection: "Leaders are readers."

Critical leadership and personal skills, attributes that differentiate our value and drive our ability to influence, are rarely provided within our formal education. They are seldom delivered in a tidy seminar thereafter. More than anything, they are found through an investment of time, hard work, and perseverance.

Hard work, geared towards improvement, applied over time, leads to high achievement. An intentional self-directed education is where you learn the guiding principles that drive the greatest accomplishments.

Said another way, daily discipline, over time, produces change. Depending on the information, that can be a positive change or a negative one - the principle works the same in either direction.

Looking at the lives of successful people I studied - historical through the present day - I've found that anyone with high achievements was a voracious learner, constantly consuming positive information. In almost all cases, that learning was outside the formal education process.

What I learned was that, for me, my best chance for lasting growth and success was to constantly develop my skills in key areas - character, behavior, critical thinking, and positive attitude, just to name a few. I had to maximize my personal gifts, as well as develop and enhance a wealth of key skills, to truly compete, influence, and lead.

Almost a decade into this journey, with a lifetime of learning still ahead, I can honestly say that this pursuit has been the highest contributor to the successes I have enjoyed, the most significant source of the value, influence and impact that I provide, and the greatest reason for the hope and promise of my future.

"An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest." - Benjamin Franklin

A self-directed education is indeed the greatest investment you will ever make.

The Making of a Champion

Here's a quote that I heard tonight on a conference call. It's an incredible reminder of the activity - the work, the sweat, and often the time - required to reach your victory.

The most concise description I have heard is this:
Dream, Struggle, Victory

Many want to skip right to the end! They have a dream. They expect the victory. You can't just skip a step. If you want the victory, you must endure the struggle. And the greater the victory you desire, the greater your struggle.

Besides, if was that easy, would it really be worth it?

The quote? Enjoy...

"I hated every minute of training, but I said,
'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.' ''

Muhammad Ali

Never Give Up

Winston Churchill is widely considered one of the greatest leaders in history. The freedoms many nations enjoy today are in large part due to the stand that he and his country took during the second world war.

Researching leadership, I have found Churchill time and time again credited with some of the most thought provoking quotes - sayings that apply today as much or more than they did in the context of their original delivery. Principles are indeed timeless.

One quote for Churchill seems to stand out among all the others. Its about perseverance, a strength that all great leaders and successful people have shown. It is by far one of his most quoted speeches, in part due to distortions about what he actually said. The myth is that he stood before a group of students later in his life and delivered a short, one-line speech and returned to his seat. You may have heard a version similar to this:

"Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, give in. Never give in. Never give in."

If that had been his entire speech, the message and the dramatic effect both would have been sufficiently powerful. That’s likely why it is repeated so often. I find it important to know the full message, in full context. We can appreciate that message, and the principle, more fully.

On October 29, 1941, Winston Churchill visited Harrow School to hear the traditional songs he had sung there as a youth and to speak to the students. The speech was a little less than five minutes in length. The often quoted lines, in full context, are included in the excerpt below.

"You cannot tell from appearances how things will go. Sometimes imagination makes things out far worse than they are; yet without imagination not much can be done. Those people who are imaginative see many more dangers than perhaps exist; certainly many more than will happen; but then they must also pray to be given that extra courage to carry this far-reaching imagination. But for everyone, surely, what we have gone through in this period - I am addressing myself to the School - surely from this period of ten months this is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. We stood all alone a year ago, and to many countries it seemed that our account was closed, we were finished. All this tradition of ours, our songs, our School history, this part of the history of this country, were gone and finished and liquidated.

"Very different is the mood today. Britain, other nations thought, had drawn a sponge across her slate. But instead our country stood in the gap. There was no flinching and no thought of giving in; and by what seemed almost a miracle to those outside these Islands, though we ourselves never doubted it, we now find ourselves in a position where I say that we can be sure that we have only to persevere to conquer."

This message remains as strong and as true as the day it was spoken. As individuals, and as a nation, we must strive to understand the meaning of and need for perseverance. We must take note of what is at stake, and persevere in the causes, positions and principles that will ensure lasting peace and prosperity.

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