Jayhawk Perseverance

Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.
-William Feather

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Late last night, the University of Kansas Men's Basketball came from behind to beat the University of Memphis and claim the NCAA National Championship. During the final minute of regulation play, Memphis made only 1 of 5 free throws. Had Memphis made those free throws, the game would have ended in regulation with Memphis being crowned as champions. Memphis did not capitalize on opportunities and allowed a determined Kansas Jayhawk team to send the game into an overtime period. Kansas took charge in the overtime period and won the game 75-68.

I was extremely impressed with a Kansas team who was down by nine points with two minutes left to play in the game. The Jayhawks played team basketball and took advantage of every opportunity afforded to them in the final minutes of the game. What impressed me the most was the perseverance Kansas showed. They were focused and never stop believing it what could happen.

The Jayhawk victory has a very important lesson about achievement. The Jayhawks demonstrated passion, belief and perseverance. The foundation of achievement lies in passion and belief. You can't have one without the other. Passion is the why? Why is it important to you. Belief, on the other hand, is knowing that you have what it takes to achieve. If you have belief, but no passion, chances are you won't even put forth the effort; it's just not that important to you. If you have passion, but no belief, passion may get you started, but you'll soon give up because you can't see yourself achieving.

The ultimate test of passion and belief is adversity. Is your belief strong enough and your why big enough to keep you going in the face of adversity? Perseverance is the glue that bonds passion and belief together in difficult times. Every significant accomplishment is born out of passion and belief, but it is perseverance that keeps passion and belief alive. It is amazing to think of how many times people have thrown in the towel in when success was right around the corner. What could have been accomplished if they only persevered a little longer?

Last night the Jayhawks could have thrown the towel in with two minutes left to play in regulation. They didn't! Most people thought the game was over. Not Kansas! They showed us they had a big enough why and believed they could win the game. They persevered and won!

The next time you're faced with adversity, remember the Jayhawks: Persevere and Win!

Have a great Tuesday, April 8th and keep on persevering!
It's your life; live it, love it, & celebrate it!
MJD