When I started this blog more than a year back, I urged you (and I continue to urge you) to ‘Go, Get Your Gold Medal’.

In my opening post ‘What is this blog about?’, I had asked everyone to make the “right and intense effort” to go for the gold without any malicious intent towards anyone. Moreover, your ‘Gold’ does not have to compare with anyone’s ‘Silver’ or ‘Bronze’.  Your ‘Gold’ is what ‘You’ want to achieve, not what you want to achieve before others do.

Yesterday, I got a chance to witness John Wooden speak on true meaning of success.

For those who do not know who John Wooden was  – “Born in 1910, Coach John Wooden was the first person to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame both as a player and coach, while ESPN ranks him as the greatest coach of all time, across all sports. He died on June 04, 2010.”

John Wooden, affectionately known as Coach, led UCLA to record wins that are still unmatched in the world of basketball. Throughout his long life (100 years, to be exact), he shared the values and life lessons he passed to his players, emphasizing success that’s about much more than winning. And, winning is much more than scoring!

So, when I listened to him, I found the very words that corroborated my definition of success. This is what he said about success: -

“Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you are capable.”

One belief you must rest assured with, is that, it is difficult for others to judge if you are successful or not. Much like the ‘coach’ says, “I think it's like character and reputation. Your reputation is what you are perceived to be; your character is what you really are. And I think that character is much more important than what you are perceived to be. You'd hope they'd both be good. But they won't necessarily be the same.”

So, stop judging your own character through the eyes of others (who actually form your reputation).  

And, do not look at the scoreboard, because that’s not where your ‘Gold’ is.

Here is another sportsman, George Moriarty, a Major League Baseball umpire, who has this to say about success: -

The Road Ahead or the Road Behind

"Sometimes I think the Fates must grin

as we denounce them and insist

the only reason we can't win,

is the Fates themselves that miss.

Yet there lives on the ancient claim:

we win or lose within ourselves.

The shining trophies on our shelves

can never win tomorrow's game.

You and I know deeper down,

there's always a chance to win the crown.

But when we fail to give our best,

we simply haven't met the test,

Of giving all and saving none

until the game is really won.

Of showing what is meant by grit;

Of playing through when others quit.

Of playing through, not letting up;

It's bearing down that wins the cup.

Of dreaming there's a goal ahead;

Of hoping when our dreams are dead;

Of praying when our hopes have fled.

Yet losing, not afraid to fall,

if bravely we have given all.

For who can ask more of a man

than giving all within his span.

Giving all, it seems to me,

is not so far from victory.

And so the fates are seldom wrong,

no matter how they twist and wind.

It's you and I who make our fates –

we open up or close the gates

on the road ahead or the road behind."