FEMINEM

Today I got my inspiration to write from a song I heard. The song is about the importance of seizing the one opportunity that you may have in life for greatness. The lyrics drive home to the listener the story of a guy who spends his whole life working towards a goal and drops the ball. Then the singer gives advice on how to seize the moment when it comes half of which could be interpreted to conflict the other half of his advice. I like some of Feminem's music but basically he's a punk.

Here's my take on greatness. Greatness is measured through achievement. Achievement is gained through success and failure. I won't deny it is much better to achieve success, but failure should not be overlooked as a factor. Failure occurs many times on the way to success, even for those who achieve greatness. Here is a little disclaimer: I do not classify people like Feminem, Paris "Legs Wide Open" Hilton and many other pop icons who are popular as great people.

Let's face it most people will most likely never achieve greatness. Fortunately for me the path to success is the same. I relate the process of achieving success to riding a bull. The bull represents life, lasting 8 seconds represents success and getting thrown is obviously failing. Basically, bull riders train their butts off day after day to last eight seconds with a beast that wants nothing else but to throw the rider off their back and trample over them. They suffer the pain of riding weak bulls, hitting the ground and the daily grind of workouts. Then all their dreams and work is put on the line the moment they mount the bull in the gate. The horn sounds, the bull rips out of the gate bucks up a few times, throws the rider in a couple of seconds sending the rider to smash in to the ground. Many riders even have to endure the pain of having the bull maul and gore them after being blasted into the ground. Well this is how life treats us.

Every time riders have a near death experience (aka getting on a bull) they face success or failure. When those riders lie there in pain there is no doubt they have been defeated. Yet they come back to those gates to ride and face defeat again knowing the pain. Again, just for the chance to succeed for 8 seconds. Success isn't about waiting for the one opportunity you have in life. Success is about failing time after time and getting up and doing it all over again until you succeed.

The story, life will kick your butt left and right. Just keep doubling down until you win. Failing isn't the same thing as being a failure. END GAME.