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By now, my family and friends know I live with delight and the expectation that everyone and everything I need just shows up. Sometimes it's just the right person to help with my business. Recently in Hawaii, it was the beach bag I forgot to pack.
And this week, it was a man with an answer to a question I've been pondering.
How do you keep getting back up when you know in your heart you've been knocked down one too many times?
I think many of us have been there in one way or another. Too many job rejections. Too many broken hearts. Too many times trying to recover physically. Sometimes, it seems the answer is just stay put on your you-know-what.
Then along comes DJ Gregory. As you can see in today's featured story, DJ is a young man living his dream. He's a huge golf fan who came up with the wild idea to walk every round of every PGA tournament this year. Each week, he's assigned a different golfer. And each week, he walks hole after hole after hole.
One slight detail I should mention. DJ has a heck of a time walking. See, he has cerebral palsy and his legs never developed properly. So, just to walk a normal step takes twice the effort and concentration most of us have to put out. It also means that he falls a lot, especially making his way across the uneven surfaces of a golf course.
To DJ, this is all simply interesting and even kind of funny. Yes, funny. So much so, that he even keeps a running total of how many times he falls in a given week on his blog that you can check out at PGAtour.com. Oh, there are other stats, there, too, like how many miles he traveled, how many miles he walked, how many sports drinks he consumed. But the stat that gets the most attention is number of falls.
With all due respect to DJ, I think he has the stat wrong. For his story really isn't about how many times he falls down each week, it's about how many times he gets back up. And that's where he captured my heart and my attention.
It was while I was putting together his video a few days after I had interviewed him that it hit me. What I really wanted to know from him. How does he keep getting back up? Each time with a smile on his face, ready to take on his dream and the world? Why doesn't he just on his plopped down on his you-know-what and give up? Would anyone really blame him this far into the PGA season after fall after fall after fall?
I emailed my new friend and asked him that very question, telling him there are a lot of people he can touch and inspire. A lot of people who are ready to give up on their dream.
Here is what DJ had to say:
Yes I know I have a good chance to fall, but for me that's just part of life. When I do fall I try to get right back up as quick as possible. Just because you fall once doesn't mean you're going to fall again. I can compare falling to any life experience, maybe if you don't succeed the first time, that doesn't mean you should give up. For me, I will always continue to work hard and be determined until I accomplish my goal. For me, falling is just part of what I go through in my attempt and on my journey to accomplish my life goals. In life everything we do is a learning experience, so when we don't succeed we learn from our mistakes so the next we do it better. When I fall, that's also a learning experience so that next time when I'm walking in a particular place to be more careful.
There you have it. Or at least, there I have it. The answer to my question. It's not about staying stuck in "woe is me." It's about learning from those mistakes and next time getting to do better.
I hope that helps anyone who just happens to considering staying on your you-know-what. Next time you're feeling stuck there, why don't you cue up the video with DJ's story. Something tells me you just might find the inspiration to get back up and keep walking toward your dream.
Thanks, DJ! For showing up just when I needed you. Can't wait to see you at the Tour Championship here in Atlanta next week. I only hope I can keep up with you!
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