
Something I have learned from playing in sports my whole life- don't count yourself out. This is what separates the mediocre from the greats. The crowd might count you out, your family might count you out, your friends might lose hope in you but you've got to know that you can always make that comeback. You have to stand firm in your belief in yourself even when the world no longer does. As long as you know that it's never over and you make up in your mind that you will never quit, that's all that matters.
Just because the scoreboard looks one way right now, the game is still on. The outcome is yet to come. My coach used to say "throw a blanket over the scoreboard," because he knew that the score doesn't matter until the game is over. How many times do we look up at the numbers and think that there's no way to overcome the difference? How many times have you proved yourself wrong? I bet if you sat down and reflected on the times that you lost hope yet persevered, you'd find you had what it took more often than not.
Your game isn't over. If you're reading this, then you still have options. You still have another chance to turn things around. You can never count out greatness and each of us has greatness in us, you just have to keep grinding, and have faith in the process. It ain't over yet. You feel me?
This is your life. What's it gonna be? Too often we look at our "failures" and repeat excuses that keep us in the same place. "No one believes in me," "no one supports me," or "I've failed too many times to get it right," sound familiar? We all do this, but you have to keep believing that you have what it takes. Let your major setbacks become your major comeback. Persevere and be persistent in your growth. After my NFL career a lot of people counted me out because that's all I had. I let those voices get to me and lived like my life was over until I made up in my mind that I would never quit. When you make that choice you become unstoppable.
Some of you need to make up your mind that you are not going to accept anything less than your best and you won't allow for failure to be an option. Anything you count as a failure can become an excuse or you can use it to grow your life. Use it to fuel your passion inside of you and take it to the next level. It's time for your major comeback, and there's still time on you scoreboard. When there's still time left- anything can happen. You have to stop being influenced by things that are out of bounds like the crowd or those who don't believe in you- if they don't share your faith in you then they don't understand the greatness in you. Belief is powerful and can change every aspect of your life.
It all starts with you.