Ray Lewis is a retired football player with an impressive 17-year NFL playing career. Before that he was a player for the Miami Hurricanes at the University of Miami.
In the videos bellow he speaks to nowadays Hurricanes and reflects about his mental approach to game and life. Giving an excellent motivational speech.
These are valuable lessons to be learned by young athletes and everyone who wants to improve, from an accomplished athlete who went through a lot in his life: critiques, murder accusations, the absentee of his father during his youth, being the men of the house in his early life and rising to the challenge of being a NFL player despite his lack of talent and frame size.
Ray Lewis Motivational Speech:
Effort - Between YOU and YOU
"...that ain't got nothing to do with talent, that just got everything to do with effort, nothing else"
"..I saw all of it, but only thing that kept me around it's my effort"
He was the underdog, no one believed he could be a NFL player. So at a young age Ray describes his state of mind: "all I ever knew (was that) effort would get me seen on tape, effort, will get me noticed to get to the league, effort, would one day take care of my mum and my kids."
"Effort! Which is between you and you, nobody else can give you effort, effort is within inside"
Our take: EFFORT, hard work, give all you got, that's it for Ray Lewis. There are people more talented than you, people with more diplomas and qualifications than you, people with better background than yours, whatever, but effort? It's all on you, work hard at it, be the best you can possibly be and people with more talent or qualifications than you can be beaten. Because it's a matter of will in the long run, not skill when it comes to personal development. Who wants the most and who's willing to put on full effort in their work.
Putting on the WORK = Results and Respect
"How much of our brain are we using?..."
"...there's no other man out there willing to give up, what I'm willing to give up"
He talks about his playing career from 1993 to 2011 and goes on to say: "The only thing that I got in the middle of that distance, it's the only thing that follows work: it's results! There's no other blueprint. I ain't got no other secrets to tell ya'll today."
"I ain't come here for nothing else, but to tell y'all if want to do something, work at it! You want a better relationship with god, work at it!"
"You want to understand why pulling your pants up it's important, why yes mam no mam it's important, why being in the media with complete silence when somebody walks in, because it's presence and essence that determines respect"
Our take: Again about will, you have to be willing to do what others won't do. That means you have to be willing to sacrifice what others won't sacrifice, in order to get the unique results you want. Others also want those results, but they won't reach them because they aren't willing to do the work that's necessary to reach those results.
You want results? Work for it, work on your skills and capabilities because after that, like Ray says results will follow, undoubtedly! It can take some time but success will come if you put in the work for it.
In the last quote, Ray connects work and results with respect. Which means, if you put on the necessary effort everyday (that's your essence) and combine it with knowing how to be in some social situations (presence) you'll get respect as a result also. Which is also a major thing if you want to reach success in any area of your life, be someone accountable and people will respect you.
Follow GREATNESS and she'll follow YOU
"...you got to be OK with life...settle for it"
Ray goes on talking about a life idol that he grabbed on to as an example of greatness, and tells the college players if they are around that kind of person grab on to it too, because that person someway as it and they can become better themselves.
"Now it's time to tap into it, for real, and nobody can't convince you of that but you. That everyday, you give me everything you got. On every rep, you've given everything you got. On every practice, you've given everything you got. On every play, you've given everything you got".
Our take: This is a success principle - You need to be around people that have accomplished the goal that you want, and people with the same goal in mind. Because they will push you to your limits. You have to grab on to their greatness, so greatness will grab you.
Finally another principle for success - it's all about believing in yourself, nobody else can convince you that you CAN DO IT. Put in the work, be the best you can possibly be, follow greatness and greatness will follow you.
Be GREAT!
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