Elite

CHAPTER 13Whatever It Takes

On your path to becoming elite, there will be no substitute for your ability to grind, push past critics, and create the reality that you desire. The structures that we have discussed in this book will help you get there, but they are not some magic pill that can compensate for grit, and the unrelenting desire to succeed. You can bring your vision to reality if you are strong, work hard, and refuse to lose. You have to be willing to do whatever it takes if you intend to become elite.

Taking Command of My Life

Most of this book is about the elements of our life that are within our ability to manage, as is the rest of this story. The sad truth, however, is that there are so many parts of our lives that we never get to choose. We don’t decide what family we are born into, how much natural talent lies deep within our DNA, or how much hair we will carry on our heads into our 40s. However, we can choose how well we treat our families. We can determine what we will do with the talent that we were provided, and we can choose how our smile will brighten the day of a stranger, despite the receding hairline.

When something happens to you, outside of your control, you need to make the best of it. You will look back someday and remember your mindset and actions. This memory will make you feel one of two emotions: pride or shame. Create a life that will make you proud. Choose to be a warrior, not a victim.

For a decade I had to live with the needs of the Navy. ...