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| 05 Oct 2012 02:25:01 am |
| ADAM GREENBERG, 1st Major League at Bat, 7 Yrs After Tragedy |
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"Life's going to throw you curveballs . . . The key is, how are you going to respond?"
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Adam Greenberg gives new meaning to today’s message.
It’s 2005. Adam Greenberg is living his dream of playing professional baseball. On July 7, he is called up to the Big Leagues for the first time. His excitement is palpable and as he approaches the plate, his parents are in the stands, proudly taking pictures.
But on the first pitch, tragedy strikes. A 92 mph fastball drills Adam in the back of his head. The sound of the ball hitting his skull has been likened to the sound of a gunshot.
In those days, concussions were not the priority they are today. And so Adam returned to baseball too quickly, experiencing dizziness and excruciating headaches for years. As you can imagine, his performance plummeted and he was ultimately relegated to play in the Independent Leagues.
Yet Adam has been steadfast that he would ultimately return to the Big Leagues.
Enter a young filmmaker, Matt Liston. Inspired by Adam’s story, he determines that Adam should be given a ‘real’ at bat. He begins petitioning any and all who will listen and finally, the Florida Marlins sign Adam to a one-day contract.
So Tuesday night, Adam Greenberg, stepped up to the plate against one of the best pitchers in baseball, R.A. Dickey. Though Adam struck out, he is committed that this at bat be a beginning, not an end.
Life definitely threw Adam Greenberg a curve, but he has responded with inspiration, commitment, and undying perseverance.
We can never hear too many of these stories!
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***The SOURCE of Today’s Real Zeal words*** |
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Category : General
| Posted By : admin |
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| 21 Sep 2012 10:55:53 pm |
| KEN READ, World Renowned Sailor |
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“Races are won and lost prior to the first starting gun ever being fired.”
[The best sailing advice Ken Read said he's ever received.]
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In July, Ken Read, 51-year-old skipper of the American Puma Racing Team, crossed the finish line of the 9-month, 9 leg, Volvo Ocean Race in third place. During the race, teams sailed 39,000 nautical miles around the world on the most treacherous of seas.
While at sea, Ken and his 10 man crew ate nothing but freeze-dried food, operated on minimal sleep and endured extreme weather. As Ken says, “We don’t mind self-inflicted torture.”
Ken is a master sailor; his victories include over 40 championships and multiple Yachtsman of the Year honors. He was born, he asserts, with an ability to make sailboats go fast.
In preparation for the Volvo race, Ken spent countless hours choosing his crew and creating opportunities for them to work and play together. He consulted with the yacht builder to ensure maximum efficiency and speed for his boat. Any and all of the preparatory things he could do before the race began, he did.
Why? Ken knows: Races are won and lost prior to the first starting gun ever being fired.
As we prepare for our major projects and adventures, are we . . . Conducting the necessary research? Assembling our teams for maximum achievement? Spending the essential upfront time to give us the highest possibility of success?
By building a strong foundation, we give ourselves (and our teams) a chance at greatness. Without it, we’ve limited our opportunities before we even leave the proverbial dock.
Races are won and lost prior to the first starting gun ever being fired.
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***The SOURCE of Today’s Real Zeal words*** |
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Category : General
| Posted By : admin |
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| 21 Sep 2012 01:49:31 pm |
| ANDY RODDICK, Retired from Professional Tennis |
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"Like everything else, there’s two options: You lay down or you keep going. The second option sounded better to me.”
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On September 5th, Andy Roddick bid his tennis farewells to a rousing ovation at the U.S. Open in New York City.
After 12 years, 834 professional matches, 612 victories, 31 career titles, and one Grand Slam, Andy Roddick knew the time had come to retire.
My favorite Andy Roddick memory? His epic match against Roger Federer in the 2009 Wimbledon finals.
Andy was a huge underdog; Roger had beaten him 18 of their previous 20 matches.
On this particular day, Andy appeared to be on the brink of a momentous upset. He was about to take a 2-1 lead when Roger scored 6 straight points to tie the match at 1-1. A giant blow and the turning point in the match.
Like everything else, there’s two options: You lay down or you keep going.
Had Andy lain down at that point, Roger most likely would have won a resounding victory and we would have declared, in no uncertain terms, that Andy was just not in the same league as Roger.
By choosing the second option, Andy kept pace with Roger, point for point, until the fifth set, where he took it to a record 30 (yes, 30!) games, before losing, 14-16. It was a heroic loss!
As we face our own inevitable challenges, may we remember Andy Roddick and his marathon battle. May we also keep in mind that the choices we make—to lie down or keep fighting—will be pivotal in the unfolding of our future, just as they have been in Andy’s.
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***The SOURCE of Today’s Real Zeal words*** |
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Category : General
| Posted By : admin |
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| 31 Aug 2012 06:57:58 pm |
| FELIX HERNANDEZ, pitched a perfect game August 15 |
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“I’m going to do it. . . . I just don’t know when.”
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On August 15, Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners did what only 22 pitchers in the entire history of baseball have done—he pitched a perfect game.
27 batters up. 27 batters down. No hits, no walks, no runs. An incredible feat!
And while Felix is enormously talented and consistently excellent—in his last 19 starts, he’s 9-0 with a 1.4 ERA and 100 strikeouts—he’s also light-hearted, charismatic, and compassionate. The morning after his perfect game, Felix was in the children’s ward of a Seattle hospital, signing autographs and sharing his inspiring spirit.
Felix’ coach, Eric Wedge, says this about him: “The intangibles are what separate him. No doubt about it, he has great stuff. But the teammate that he is, the leadership that he brings . . . That's what separates him."
Here’s what else is so inspiring about Felix. He was committed to pitching a perfect game. He joked with his teammates telling them: I’m going to do it. . . I just don’t know when.
Herein lies the model for each of us. Whatever we’re committed to, whatever we truly desire, we first declare confidence in our success.
Then, we release any attachment to the timing of that success. In so doing, we allow for the unexpected—for ways and means beyond our current knowing. In essence, we open the door for miracles and unprecedented results.
Just like Felix did in pitching a perfect game. I’m going to do it. . . I just don’t know when.
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***The SOURCE of Today’s Real Zeal words*** |
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Category : General
| Posted By : admin |
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| 10 Aug 2012 06:19:28 pm |
| OSCAR PISTORIUS, first double leg amputee, Olympics |
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“You are not disabled by the disabilities you have; you are able by the abilities you have.”
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Oscar Pistorius is not only the first double-amputee to compete in the Olympic Games, he is also a supremely talented athlete.
Born without fibulas, Oscar’s legs were amputated halfway between his knees and ankles when he was 11 months-old. Unfazed, Oscar has played rugby, tennis and water polo. As a racer, he’s won gold medals in the 2004 and 2008 Paralympics.
And now, he has made history at the 2012 London Olympics. Oscar was initially banned from the Games based on a ruling that his carbon fiber prosthetics gave him an unfair advantage. On appeal, the ruling was reversed, opening the door for Oscar to compete. And compete he did, making it to the semi-finals in the 400 meters race before being eliminated.
The Olympics gave many of us our first introduction to Oscar, but he was already world-renowned for his courage and influence.
In 2007, Oscar was awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year for outstanding courage and achievement. He made the "2008 TIME 100" – Time magazine's annual list of the world's most influential people. In 2012 Oscar was awarded the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability.
Oscar’s motto: “You are not disabled by the disabilities you have; you are able by the abilities you have” testifies to the inspiring man he is and serves as a powerful model for us.
The implications of Oscar’s words are staggering. All disabilities (which we all have in one form or another) lose their power. And we, then, become only able.
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***The SOURCE of Today’s Real Zeal words*** |
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Category : General
| Posted By : admin |
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