Commit yourself to success
May 16, 2013 By
Eugene Orowitz was a skinny, awkward kid from New Jersey. Painfully shy, very self-conscious, and lacking self-confidence, when a high school coach half-jokingly asked him to try out for the track team, Eugene took him up on it, according to author Glenn Van Ekeren.
“Ugy,” as his friends affectionately called him, discovered a talent for javelin throwing and committed himself to being the best that he could possibly be. What Ugy lacked in self-confidence, he made up for in commitment.
By graduation, Eugene had achieved a national high school record for throwing the javelin over 193 feet. His commitment also resulted in a college track scholarship at the University of Southern California.
A torn shoulder muscle ended his javelin-throwing career and any hope of making the Olympic team. However, while watching a play, Eugene became intrigued with acting. Again, he committed himself to being the best. He was determined to make it as an actor, so he enrolled in acting class. And he changed his name.
You know Eugene Orowitz as Michael Landon, who went on to star in three of the most popular shows in television history: “Bonanza,” “Little House on the Prairie” and “Highway to Heaven.”
Eugene/Michael demonstrated the difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it when circumstances permit. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.
Comedian Bill Cosby dropped out of Temple University as a junior and became a starving comedian. But he was committed to becoming successful, staying up all hours of the night to talk to seasoned comics,research material and work on new routines. I had a chance to play tennis with Bill many years ago and he told me: “Anyone can dabble, but once you’ve made the commitment, then your blood has that particular thing in it and it’s very hard for people to stop you.”
Commitment is a prerequisite to success. Commitment is the state of being bound – emotionally, intellectually, or both – to a course of action. Commitment starts with a choice and is sustained by dedication and perseverance. Actions speak louder than words.
To read the entire article from Harvey Mackay:
http://harveymackay.com/column/commit-yourself-to-success/
Go after your dream, no matter how unattainable others think it is. -Linda Mastandrea
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