Home
>
Success
>
Motivation By Desire

Motivation By Desire

Many of us have lost sight of what we really desire in life. We probably need to remind ourselves of the importance of rediscovering our desires and regaining the spark which makes life worthwhile.

If we fail to do this we will just settle for mediocrity and never make the most of our potential. Of course, illness or death can spoil our dreams but if we have tried our heart out up till then we will have nothing to regret.

Steve Prefontaine, the great American 5000 metre runner, is one person who did not settle for less than his best although sadly he died before he could achieve all his dreams.

I recently watched the film of his life and found it moving to say the least. Above all, the film showed what focused desire can achieve even when it is interrupted by death.

At sixteen, Steve Prefontaine was clear about his dream. He wanted to run and win gold at the Munich Olympics. "No one is going to stop me." Running became his life.

Bill Bowerman, head coach at the University of Oregon, wrote him a letter on the front page of a newspaper: "Dear Pre, If you want to come to the University of Oregon there is no doubt in my mind you will be the greatest distance runner in the world." He understood what would appeal to the mind of a winner.

Steve went to Oregon at the time of the protests against the war in Vietnam. He appreciated his good fortune: "Man, if it wasn't for running I'd be dodging bullets in 'Nam instead of training for Munich."

He visualized his success frequently both on his own and in the company of his girlfriend: "You really know how to sweet talk a girl." Mac Wilkins, the great discus thrower, thought he was a "cocky little mother."

But the head coach knew his cocky attitude was worth its weight in gold: "I'd like to bottle it and force feed it to the rest of you guys." The coach knew Steve had the heart of a winner and was motivated by the desire to win.

His room mate commented: "Back then everyone had either dope or beer. Pre's drug was winning at everything." Steve's words to the press were sometimes arrogant. The assistant coach told him that, as a result of his words, every athlete in the country would be gunning for him. "Bring them on." Steve replied.

He always made time for kids "He saw himself in their little faces." But he wouldn't let a nine year old beat him in a race. "You can't let a losing mentality creep in here (pointing to his brain). All my life people have said to me: 'You're too small, Pre; you're not fast enough, Pre; give up your foolish dream, Steve.' They forgot something: I have to win."

His girlfriend commented about him: "He always had a great need; just an endless need; it came from somewhere." Steve had a huge desire or need to win and to be the best. He is the only man to have held every American record between 2000 and 10000 metres. This has never been equaled.

At the Munich Olympics in 1972, Israeli athletes were taken hostage and then murdered. The Games continued nevertheless and Steve Prefontaine was given a chance to win gold in the 5000 metres.

Things didn't go to plan, however, and he came in fourth. Viren of Finland who won the race was 23. Steve was 21. Steve was distraught. He just banged his head against the wall. "It's my fault. I messed up." The assistant coach said "You ran your heart out. You've got to let it go, Pre."

Back home his girlfriend told him that she and the whole town were very proud of him. Steve was not convinced: "Yeah, sure; they'll probably name a street after me. They'll call it 'Fourth Street'."

He told his coach, Bill, not to retire but Bill had had enough: "He who runs against time has an adversary not subject to casualties. I'm 62. I'm getting too old for all this. I presided over the worst performance of the US team in Olympic History."

Steve replied: "That wasn't your fault. You couldn't run those races for us. We were the ones that blew it. I blew it." Bill did not agree: "You could have run for the bronze or the silver. You ran to win. I couldn't ask more than that from an athlete."

Steve confided his feelings: "Its funny; these days I don't know whether I want to train like hell and kick Viren's ass or stay in bed."

Bill Bowerman told him that he was a grown up now. No one would wipe his bottom for him: "If you want to run, you run. If you don't, you walk away from it. No one can coach desire, Pre." We all have to discover our own desire and, as adults, are the only ones who can follow up on our dreams.

It took a while but Steve bounced back and found his desire again. But he knew now that he needed to compete with the best to beat them. He fought for better support for American athletes after their college days were over. Eventually, this victory was won.

In the mean time he managed to organize a visit to Oregon by a Finnish team. Mac Wilkins was able to beat the world record holder at this meet.

At the after meet party, Mac Wilkins expressed his new found respect for Steve: "You know something. All those years to me you were a talented little jerk. I never understood you, but I now I do. I live and breathe the discus, Pre. I hate Christmas and Thanksgiving and Easter and anything that disrupts my routine."

Mac had the same burning desire to be the best as Steve. In 1976 he broke the world discus record and also won gold at Montreal. Desire for gold makes athletes hate anything that interrupts their plans to win. It makes them get up early in the morning to train. Steve's desire had returned but sadly he was killed in a car accident the evening after the farewell party for the Finns. He never had his second chance to win gold.

Bowerman commented on his life: "He was a rare runner - the kind a coach sees only once in a life time."

His first love said sadly: "I realized that I had kind of settled for things when we broke up and he never did that."

The assistant coach commented: "Let's be honest. The only reason we're sitting talking about Pre right now is that Pre was a winner People need winners. Pre went to Munich to win and Montreal, by God, he would have.

The funeral hearse went round the track at Hayward Field, Oregon. Bill Bowerman gave a funeral speech: "Pre ran every race as though it was his last. This is his last. This is the bell lap for Steve Prefontaine."

The attenders at the funeral called out: "Go Pre! Go Pre!" as his hearse came past just as they had done in his running days. He never won gold at the Olympics but he left a golden example behind him. He showed us the mind of a winner whose desire or need to be the best was huge. We can all learn from this.

The powerful song "Forever Young" by Bob Dylan ended the film.

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, And Pictures...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 and pictures to help readers remember 36 laws that can gradually transform your life if you apply them.

You are welcome to publish the article above in your ezine or on your website so long as you do not alter it and keep in the words about the author and the 36 Laws.

monthly home cleaning Buffalo Grove ..

In The News:

Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Motivation By Desire

Success