Rafael Nadal & Achieving Big Things

January 29, 2009

Rafael Nadal & Achieving Big Things

Rafael Nadal, #1 ATP, overcame many mistakes over the years...

I love people who work hard to do great things.

I love learning about people who are driven to go beyond ordinary and have a passion to become extraordinary.

What makes some people choose to do more with their lives?

What drives those special few individuals to greatness?

I don’t think there is one simple answer.  It’s probably a lot of answers all rolled into one.

I think it starts with a choice.  I think people who do extraordinary things in life make the choice to work harder and work smarter.  And I think they don’t quit easily.  They keep working hard, learning from mistakes, and growing in skill.

So many great athletes, scholars, inventors, politicians, religious leaders….

When I study these people I find they almost always have one thing in common, which is they almost all had difficult childhoods.

Yes, a difficult childhood.

The ability to overcome their difficult childhood seems to have taught them how to become better leaders and achievers.

These people tend to grow up and attempt to do great things.  The second aspect these people usually have in common is that they fail… a lot.

Yes, extraordinary people usually had very difficult childhoods and failed many times before they succeeded.

Rafael Nadal, ATP #1, falls and misses the ball...

These people don’t seem to mind trying their hardest and learning from their mistakes.

They don’t see mistakes as bad.

They see mistakes as their teacher.  And they see the ability to overcome their mistake as the goal to becoming successful.

That happens in tennis, also.

Great tennis players almost always had coaches and parents who taught them to learn from their mistakes.  All tennis players are going to make mistakes, but the great ones learn from them.

Sometimes the people making the mistakes are the ones learning  and improving the most.  The better a tennis player becomes, the more complicated and intense the mistakes become.  Yet, those mistakes start happening against stronger and stronger players during much more difficult situations.

And those players begin to stand stronger in their beliefs about themselves and their abilities.

For those of you striving to achieve great things… thanks.

I appreciate you.

For the person who invented plastic… and coached the winning team in World Cup… and walked on the moon… and won a Grand Slam… and taught math for 20+ years to 12 year old rebels… and discovered electricity… and chose to become a Christian missionary… and so, so many other extraordinary things… thanks.

Don't quit. And do not listen to people who tell you to quit.... Champions did not quit!

For those of you at a crossroad in your life wondering if you want to take the easy way or the extra-ordinary way, I’m cheering for you!

Was your life hard when you were a child?  Yes?  Good!

You are less lazy than many others.

Do you often fail when trying to be successful?  Yes?  Good!

You show you are willing to keep trying and to keep learning.

Don’t listen to people who say you can’t be successful at what God is leading you to become.  Those people are probably miserable failures who quit and make excuses.

Focus on your prize.  Focus on your goal.

Believe in your ability to learn and to grow.

Ok, that’s enough for now… I hope this helped you believe in yourself.

You have a big God.

Scott and Melody Paschal

You can do big things.

Philippians 4:13,

Coach Scott Paschal

ICTA Inc.,   President

Ultimate Impact Tennis Academy,   Owner

International Christian Tennis Association

386 793 0557   ballboy4Jesus@yahoo.com

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