I don’t think I ever doubted it for a minute.
What gets me down is my own fallibility. I won’t achieve my dreams; I am not as good as my rivals. What I discovered got me thinking – it started with Muhammad Ali’s quote about himself.
There is a total disconnect in the minds of the greatest people in history. He shouts ‘I am the greatest, the greatest that ever lived!’ and suggests the world loved him. He knew he’d win fights, he even picked the round. Ali was certainly the greatest boxer that ever lived. What’s more, he knew it before he even knew it. I just love this sort of conviction.
Affirmation was the key. Ali knew he was the greatest, and wanted to be the greatest boxer in the world. He told himself this every day. Die or live a champion. The same type of logic applies to many individuals. My post title is a quote from Warren Buffett when asked about his wealth.
If you spotted one famous person in a group of athletes or investors – you will find they had the conviction. They believed in themselves far more than their rivals. How can it be that Michael Jordan was better than any other professional basketball player? Talent is derived from the will to exercise talent – he practiced harder. He believed, he didn’t just levitate, he flew.
Big risks lead to big rewards or failure. I doubt these men worried for long, they were convinced. God spoke to Ali himself; Warren Buffett was 12 years old when he knew he would be the richest man in the world. The insane bets of our time will always seem insane to everyone else. I am suggesting we find affirmations and bring them to the next level. I am after those who march on without attention to critics: Edward Lampert buying Sears; Bill Clinton who was a poor nobody from Arkensas; Steve Jobs returning to Apple. All of it is insane. Could you do it? Would you?
Instead of saying I can, say I will. If you want to be a banker, tell yourself you will be the greatest banker that ever lived. If you want to cook a meal, it will be the greatest meal of your life. This is not just fanaticism, it borders on a total failure of the blood-brain barrier. There is no way the magic elements wound up in a single person, it must have been exercised there. I believe if you give yourself the benefit of the doubt, it will happen.
For one thing, Lance Armstrong is not an outlier in cycling. He is the greatest athlete that ever lived. Although he had the natural form and genetic disposition to being a cyclist, how did he turn it into theater? Watching the video of his press conference in 1996 as he told his audience he had cancer, one can see it. He still fucking believed. He said point blank that he intends to return to professional cycling. It drove him over the edge. The adrenaline rush isn’t quite the same for his rivals, every pulse is just better.
Armstrong wanted to know why he should trust his brain surgeon. What about the other opinions? Why should his hands be the one to remove the tumor? The neurosurgeon told Lance to shut up, and that as good as Lance was on a bike, he was with brain surgery. Lance chose him.
Fear is good, but never be scared. I can be the greatest and so I will be the greatest doctor that ever lived.
