Inspiration | Mindset
How Tenacity, Patience, and Perseverance Win in the End
This is bigger than the Super Bowl; this is what dreams are made of.
“I fail over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” ~Michael Jordan
We have all experienced disappointments, setbacks, and even heartaches in this lifetime. The most successful people I know experience many setbacks and failures before they succeed. It is having the courage to try, to take risks, and to fail that creates a strong, resilient, and successful person. An athlete is no exception. Yes, they get paid exorbitant amounts of money, but many have very short careers due to injuries. This year’s Super Bowl inspired me to write this article today on comeback stories. Even for those of you not interested in football please try to hang in there because the story is far deeper than that. This is a story about something I believe we can all relate to which is one of never giving up on ourselves, a story about perseverance, and about believing in our dreams and our abilities to reach our pursuit of happiness.
“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common that unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan, ‘press on’ has solved, and always will solve, the problems of the human race.” ~Calvin Coolidge
The Cincinnati Bengals Football team has shown their determination this year. They have certainly pressed on, and it has worked for them. My son and I were in Washington and Oregon visiting colleges when the Bengals were in the playoffs. We wondered into a small bar and grill late afternoon to eat a bite on our way back after touring and the Bengals game was on so we watched it and sure enough they pulled off the win for a huge victory! I walked back to the bathroom and found a woman about my age cheering gleefully. I thought for sure she was from Cincinnati so on my way back to our table I worked up the courage to ask her. She said, “no, I simply felt so bad that they had not won in 33 years that I had to cheer for them to get to the Super Bowl!” What happened next was even more shocking… this complete stranger gave me the most enthusiastic hug after I told her I was from Cincinnati and wished my team and city the best of luck! It is strange how sports, and more importantly, a dream of victory can pull people together.
The Cincinnati Bengals have not been to the Super Bowl since I was 12 years old in 1989. They lost that year against the The San Francisco 49’s. They have never won a Super Bowl in NFL History. We are in it this year and have a fighting chance of actually winning. Regardless of whether we win or lose it is simply exciting for Cincinnati to be a part of such a momentous game. I am not particularly a sports enthusiast, for those who know me well, but how can you not be excited about this game, let alone this season for the Bengals.
“You just have to keep the same mentality of trying to prove yourself every single day. But it’s a lot easier when you have people telling you how bad you are then when people are telling you how good you are.” ~ Joe Burrow
Cincinnati drafted rookie Quarterback, Joe Burrow, in 2020. In 2021 Joe Burrow was named Comeback player of the year. Now the Bengals are making an epoch comeback. Joe is a calm, cool, levelheaded player and makes great passes and plays. Let’s just hope and pray he stays safe in this game Sunday against the Rams. The Bengals are playing great as a team and realize the value of teamwork and effort. They deserve a solid victory and I wish them the best.
The strong people continue to sharpen their skills, train, persevere, rest, and repeat. I remain calm in the face of adversity. I know I will meet some people with resistance, and I am okay with that. I respect the opinions of others and I try to look at everything from different angles to see their perspectives as well.
“Remind your critics when they say you don’t have the expertise or experience to do something that an amateur built the Arc, and an expert built the Titanic.” ~ Peyton Manning
This Super Bowl represents not just a victory for one of two football teams, it represents dreams coming true. It represents resiliency, comebacks, possibilities that hope springs eternal that dreams really do come true. It is so much bigger than football; is a coming together of community. It is a coming back of belief in self. It is a reminder that when we work hard and remain calm and keep our eye on the prize we can push through the hurdles.
So, no matter how many obstacles stand in your way, keep your eye on your long-term vision. Never give up on your dreams. It is important to know when to surrender and consider “plan B” if “plan A” is dragging you down and not working, but that is different than quitting and giving up. That is simply taking a detour in a different direction, knowing your strengths, and playing smart.
“History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to give up.” ~B.C. Forbes
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Whether or not you watch the Super Bowl, I hope you still find the takeaway message of this article inspiring. And if you do watch the Super Bowl, please for the love of God cheer on the Bengals — they are overdue for a Super Bowl WIN! WHO DEY!
