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Success is No Accident How many times have we heard the rags to riches “story” about a person that started out with nothing, picked himself up from his bootstraps and became a success in spite of where he came from? I would contend that this is bull!! WHERE HE CAME FROM is the most significant reason that they are successful. I would further contend that WHEN HE CAME is a close second. In other words, Success occurs when Readiness and Opportunity meet Timing. I know of nobody that is accidentally successful- no matter how much we want to deny it. This may sound ridiculous, but allow me the latitude to use Bermuda grass as an example. My house is built on a golf course, and I am consistently frustrated as to how I can never get the (Bermuda) grass in my backyard to look as good as the grass on the golf course less than 5 feet away from the edge of my property . Grass is Grass right?………………. Wrong!!!!! Bermuda is planted from seed. The Bermuda seed for all intents and purposes is the same. There is little to no difference from seed to seed. However, once the seed is planted, many factors go into determining the “successful” growth of the seed into mature Bermuda grass. The best Bermuda grass is grown in conditions where the soil contains plenty of nutrients, there is protection from insects and animals, plenty of sunlight, adequate supply of moisture, and meticulous grooming from humans. All of these conditions exist on a Golf Course, whereas in my backyard- not so much! I contend that the WHERE (the grass) COMES FROM is a significant factor in determining success. Let’s use the same Bermuda Seed example when talking about WHEN THEY CAME as a determinant of success. In order for Bermuda seed to reach optimal germination it must be planted during a period when temperatures average over 60 Fahrenheit Degrees. If the seed is planted BEFORE this requirement is met, it will not grow properly. The WHEN matters. Now take the Bermuda Seed example of the Where and When and replace it with a person. Let’s look at reasons why Tiger Woods has attained success. WHERE HE CAME FROM 1. Although, Tiger did not come from a pedigree of golfers or athletes for that matter, his father made golf courses and practice time available to him 2. His Mother nurtured his mental state 3. A team of experts spent years with him to meticulously groom his game 4. The barriers/distractions to success were minimized/eliminated. At an early age he was dedicated and focused on mastering his skill. WHEN HE CAME FROM 1. Tiger’s rise coincided during a time WHEN the PGA’s fan base was declining. The tour had become sterile and was in desperate need for an attraction. 2. At the time that Tiger came along and quite possibly still today there is no player in this era that has prepared/practiced as much as Tiger. It is debatable, but one could argue that Tiger entered the tour WHEN there really was no dominate players for Tiger to compete with. Therefore, WHEN Tiger entered the PGA is a huge reason for his success. Thus resulting in the debates over whether Tiger could have beaten Jack, Arnold, Ben, or Byron at their prime. 3. Lastly, this is an unfortunate fact, but none the less a fact that must be considered. Tiger’s rise occurred during a time when the barriers to entry for minorities in Golf had been for the most part eliminated. If Tiger had been born in a different era- say the 1940’s, regardless of how good he was, do you think that he would have attained the same level of success? The main point that I am trying to get across with this entry is that you should do everything in your power to make sure that you “COME FROM “a place that adequately allows you to be “ready” for the “opportunity”- “WHEN” it arises. |