Nathan K Watson

Every training camp I had at Washington State University, Coach Leach would share the same story. The story of two kids. The rich kid and the poor kid. The rich kid has two choices. He can become spoiled, entitled, lazy, and expect everything to be handed to him because he has been given more. Or he can take every advantage of what he has been given—resources, coaching, opportunities—and use it to become even better. The poor kid has two choices too. He can say, “I never had a chance. Nobody gave me anything. The world is against me.” He can feel sorry for himself and use it as an excuse. Or he can say, “I may not have what they have, but I am going to outwork everybody.” He can become tougher, more driven, and more relentless than everybody else. It was a powerful message in a locker room full of people from different backgrounds, different families, and different life experiences. Some guys came from wealth. Some came from almost nothing. Some had every opportunity. Others had to fight for every inch. But despite all of those differences, everybody still had the same choice. You can take ownership and use what you have as fuel. Or you can become victim-minded. You can look for excuses, blame your circumstances, become entitled, and convince yourself that because of what you have—or because of what you do not have—you cannot become what you want to be. It is not about how you start. It is about what you choose to do with how you start. The rich kid can waste what he has been given or use it to build something greater. The poor kid can use his circumstances as an excuse or as fuel. In the end, greatness does not come from starting with more or less. It comes from which person inside of you that you choose to feed. If you like these Mind Strength Messages, click below to join our free newsletter and get a new Mind Strength Message every Monday to start your week on the right foot. coachlukefalk.com/email-news… #MindStrength