So, interesting story for today. Years ago, Bear Bryant was coaching the Alabama Crimson Tide. They were ahead in the game by six points with less than two minutes to go. Bryant sent his quarterback in with instructions to play it safe and run out the clock. In the huddle, the quarterback came in and said, "The coach says to play it safe, but that is exactly what the other team is expecting. Let's give them a surprise." And with that, he called a pass play. When the quarterback dropped back and threw the pass, the defending cornerback, who was a champion sprinter, intercepted the ball and headed back towards the end zone, expecting to score a touchdown. The quarterback, who was not known as a good runner, took off after the cornerback and ran him down from behind, tackling him at the 5-yard line. His effort saved the game. After the clock ran out, the opposing coach came over to Bryant and said, "What's this business about your quarterback not being a runner? He ran down my speedster from behind!" Bryant responded by saying, "Your man was running for six points. My man was running for his life."

I thought that was a great example of how failure or adversity can cause an individual to excel. Many times we instantly think that a mistake is failure. However, the only way to smooth out a stone is through adversity and rough patches. This applies to every situation in life; whether that be work, play, family, hobbies, religion, and leadership. Ultimately, the person who will bring you down is only you. I know that if I could only realize my potential every hour of every day, the world would be in trouble. I hope to pass this along to my children, to help them succeed.