Kurt Warner: NFL Super Bowl Champion

“Champions are often recognized in a moment, but they separate themselves over a lifetime.”

I found Kurt Warner to be an attractive, charismatic individual, but not necessarily a gifted public speaker. That said, he was definitely not the worst presenter present-that award would have to go to Dr. Robert Schuller…a professional motivational speaker. Yeah, blew my mind. Anyway, back to Mr. Warner. He talked a lot about his family, which I found interesting (he has seven kids!) and the value of wanting something so bad you will sacrifice and suffer anything to get it. He referenced his daughter climbing up four shelves in the pantry…he heard a loud bang and there she was, flat on her back on the floor, but bygolly she was clutching the bag of Oreos to her chest!

The most interesting thing I think he said was that often people will list a litany of bad things that happen to them in life: “My parents divorced, I had bad teachers, I sprained my ankle, I got laid off, I grew up poor, etc etc. The difference between winnders and losers, between successful and unsuccessful people is not the events that may or may not have occurred in their life. The difference is found entirely in the words with which they finish their litany of woes. “…and that is why I failed.” OR “…and that is why I succeed.” It is not a difference in luck, ability, talent, family, education that makes the difference between success and failure, but a simple difference in attitude, in how they approach situations that are challenging, that are less than ideal. What are you willing to sacrifice, what are you willing to suffer, these are the determining factors in success.

He went on to say that it is vital to teach your children the importance of suffering in order to be great” and quoted Lance Armstrong when faced simultaneously with severe Bronchitis, pouring rain, dropping temperatures and an uphill route. “Good…suffering weather.” Whatever it is you choose to do, find something you can do with ALL of your heart. Belief in yourself is far, far more important than talent. If you are in a room with 100 guys and someone tells you only 1 of you will make it, look around and feel sorry for the other 99, because you know in your gut that YOU are going to succeed.