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Passion Fuels Performance



I have been told to imitate the actions of those I admire and want to be like – to be successful at a craft or within an industry, to study and follow what successful people do and work to duplicate those actions. While I believe this to be sound advice, it is also missing a huge variable: Heart. Without heart, actions are simply not sustainable. If one was to truly emulate the actions of someone very successful, the amount of sacrifice, dedication and commitment required to follow those footsteps could only possibly endure with deeply rooted conviction and passion. There has to be an overwhelming “why” and it has to come from the soul. Without the Why, the actions are empty and short-lived.

Let me give you an example: the Navy SEAL. Everything it takes to become a SEAL can be very easily discovered after a couple hours of researching on the internet. You can find day by day, week by week, descriptions of BUD/S, the SEAL selection process. The actions are right there, out in the open. All it takes to become a SEAL is clearly outlined, so just go duplicate those actions and become a SEAL! It’s that simple. In fact, the selection process is designed so a sailor with just average strength and athleticism can complete the course.

So why is the BUD/S dropout rate over 80%, including some of the strongest and fittest recruits? Although the physical tests are designed to be completed by someone with average athleticism, the course itself is designed to only be passed by those with phenomenal will. Average athleticism, exceptional will. You aren’t just running five miles on the beach – a lot of folks can do that – but it’s running five miles on the beach in soaking wet clothes caked in sand chaffing the skin off their thighs after being up for two days straight and not having eaten in 24 hours. And it’s six months of that! Only someone fighting for a cause much larger and deeper than themselves will allow themselves to endure that much abuse. Without the Why, the Will breaks down.

The actions leading to success are often fairly simple, but it’s in the execution of those actions – day after day, year after year, through trials and hardships – where people get tripped up. They don’t sustain the actions because their heart was never fully committed to begin with. Their Why was too small.

The 2019 Corvette ZR1 unleashes 755hp and boasts a 0-60 time under three seconds with a top speed of 212mph. It’s a beast. Although capable of incredible performance, the car only gets twelve miles to the gallon. That speed and power is only sustainable with consistent and significant replenishment of fuel.

Your Why – your deep rooted passion and conviction – is the fuel for your actions. The bigger and more significant the action, the more fuel it will require. The Corvette possesses immense potential, but without fuel, it will remain parked. Search your soul for the Why before you seek out the What. And then, put your heart and soul into it. It’s how you were designed to run.

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