In the film 'The Rock', Sean Connery takes a dim view of those who claim to be 'doing their best'. He comments grimly: 'Losers always whine about doing their best.' Is he right? This article tries to give an answer.
In the film, two men are set the near impossible task of disabling rocket bombs armed with nerve gas on the island of Alcatraz which has been occupied by ace rebel special forces. The lives of the five million citizens of San Francisco depend on their success. Tension is high throughout.
Sean Connery is one of the two men. He is a tough ex con. He asks his inexperienced partner, a mild mannered chemist, acted by Nicholas Cage:
"Are you ready for this?"
His partner bravely replies: " I'll do my best."
Sean Connery immediately corrects him:
"Losers always whine about doing their best."
Is Sean Connery right? Yes and No
Yes, people sometimes say they will do their best but really mean:
"I will make some effort but I don't really expect to succeed."
They use doing their best as an excuse for failure and are not in fact planning on really doing their best.
On the other hand some people mean they really will do their best whatever happens.
Such people do not always win but they often do win because so few others do their best. Those who do their best soon stand out from the majority who are content with mediocrity.
Also, doing your best allows you not to worry about the results and frees you up to focus on the task in hand. Come hell or high water, you will do your best and leave the results up to the universe. More often than not you will win.
Just saying "I will win", instead of "I will do my best", doesn't guarantee you will win especially if the other guy says he will win.
In the recent fight between world heavyweight champion Valeri Klitscho and the British Challenger Danny Williams both men said they would win.
However, Danny did acknowledge that both he and his competitor believed that they would win and that this would make for a great fight. Danny also had the grace to say he would only win 'God willing'.
In the end Danny put up a very brave fight and lasted into the eighth round but Klitschko won and retained his world championship belt.
In my opinion there is a lot to be said for really doing your best. The result is in the lap of the gods and is not necessarily under your control. But, if you do your best you may well win. Either way you are not a loser.
If you want to see who won in the film 'The Rock', get the video or DVD and watch it!
About the author
John Watson is an award winning teacher and martial arts instructor. He has recently written two books about achieving your goals and dreams. They can both be found on his website http://www.motivationtoday.com along with a daily motivational message.
The title of the first book is "36 Laws To Ignite Your Inner Power And Realize Your Dreams Now! - Acronyms, Stories, Pictures And Quotes?Easy To Remember And Use Everyday To Grab Your Life And Soar With The Eagles"
The book can be found at this URL http://www.motivationtoday.com
The book uses acronyms, stories, pictures and quotations to help readers remember 36 laws that can gradually transform your life if you apply them.
Ezine editors / Site owners
Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site but please include this resource box.
Oswego taxi to Midway ..Have a "Pitch Party" Invite friends and work together to... Read More
We must never allow a day to pass without finding... Read More
Absolutely no one can underestimate the power of the mind... Read More
You have a choice today?You can remain in the same... Read More
Arsenal Football Club were the Champions of the Premier league... Read More
Most of my clients had a vision of the contribution... Read More
One of the common elements you see in almost all... Read More
"Walk away from the 97% crowd. Don't use their excuses.... Read More
Success begins with a personal dream that is bigger than... Read More
Five-time gold medal-winning figure skater, Jenny Kilmer, has won the... Read More
With topics in personal development ranging from goal setting to... Read More
The Outlaw Josey Wales is an interesting Western that I... Read More
Whoever first said that knowledge is power was probably selling... Read More
We are repeatedly told that we should forget about unpleasant... Read More
I've just sent an email to my mailing list based... Read More
Sometimes short cuts are not worth taking. They may bring... Read More
Successful people do not achieve success on their own, they... Read More
"All the adversity I've had in my life, all my... Read More
Several years ago, I attended a "success" seminar in northern... Read More
What characteristics are common among successful people. If you analyze... Read More
Today I feel inspired that I should speak more to... Read More
The simple action of writing the every day grocery demonstrates... Read More
"One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key... Read More
Response means "to answer" and that idea, in its purest... Read More
If you're so smart, why ain't you rich?Becoming a millionaire... Read More
shuttle from Midway Morris ..Are you looking for the secret or magical formula for... Read More
Imagine being firmly committed to your deepest ambitions. Imagine feeling... Read More
When entering second adulthood, many women will begin a journey... Read More
e-Learning is doubling yearly. Classes, e-courses, e-books on how-to and... Read More
What is an ANT? An ANT is an acronym for... Read More
In the first part of this article you learned some... Read More
Decide which game to play. Is winning that... Read More
Man is the most advanced being on this earth. We... Read More
Your Head, think about what you want and move towards... Read More
If we are involved in a project, how hard should... Read More
Hey,Josh here from Investor Wealth Academy sitting 29 stories above... Read More
Not only do we communicate with ourselves, but our cells... Read More
Fear.Everything in this world has its opposite.Good has bad.Optimism has... Read More
We were at some friend's house the other day and... Read More
George Burns' career could have ended as early as 1958,... Read More
Formula For SuccessThe winners in this life know the rules... Read More
One of the hallmarks of all successful and high achieving... Read More
What characteristics are common among successful people. If you analyze... Read More
Fear, or negative anxiety, is the modern day bubonic plague,... Read More
Lots of people network but few reap the rewards of... Read More
Every man who accomplishes things sees first in his mind... Read More
Everything we have in life is because of the help... Read More
Over the years many people have offered their models of... Read More
It is accepted that most people have felt shy at... Read More
After all the things I have shared with you this... Read More
Success |