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John Wooden: The Difference Between Winning and Succeeding (Transcript)

I think our tendency is to hope things will turn out the way we want them too much of the time, but we don’t do the things that are necessary to make those things become reality. I worked on this for some 14 years, and I think it helped me become a better teacher. But it all revolved around that original definition of success.

You know, a number of years ago, there was a Major League Baseball umpire by the name of George Moriarty. He spelled Moriarty with only one ‘i’. I’d never seen that before, but he did. Big league baseball players — they’re very perceptive about those things, and they noticed he had only one ‘i’ in his name. You’d be surprised how many also told him that that was one more than he had in his head at various times.

But he wrote something where I think he did what I tried to do in this pyramid. He called it “The Road Ahead, or the Road Behind”. He said, sometimes I think the Fates must grin as we denounce them and insist the only reason we can’t win, is the Fates themselves have missed. 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.

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