(Jason Overlooking Malibu Days Before Starting Santa Clara University)

9/18/14

“To be successful you must accept all challenges that come your way.  You can’t just accept the ones you like.”

Life would be so less complicated if all that we wished for flowed to us on a simple stream.  All we would have to do is sit and wait for their arrivals.

No such luck nor should it be that way.  Our greatest accomplishments have to be measured in some manner.  Of course that has to be a study that involves a detailed reassessment of the starting point to its eventual outcome.  The flawed efforts and disappointing initial results have to be factored in before recognizing the level of accomplishment.

Take this into account in the planning for your most important goals.  The ship you charter towards those goals will never sail along the same route you planned.  No matter how you foresee the anticipated obstacles, they present themselves differently or are either replaced with other ones.

DON’T BE FRUSTRATED OR DETERRED!  This is just part of the journey and don’t just crash ahead blindly and stubbornly without thought when simple adjustments will get you to your destination quicker.

Accept this.  Challenges are created by your decisions, failure to make decisions, delay in acting on decisions, or decisions made by others who by necessity (or unfortunately at times your permission) create challenges.  Either way the challenges exist and it is vital that you react to them appropriately, promptly, positively, and with the commitment necessary to overcome them.

You may sometimes doubt whether you have it in you to carry on towards certain dreams because of the complexity of a problem, the effort required, and the uncertainty whether the direction you are headed is towards the proper point on the compass.  DO NOT STOP other than to rest, breathe, think, get your bearings, and then keep moving.

Don’t worry about whether you have the ability.  The creation of the dream was predicated by what was created in you and, fashioned by what was already within you.  Where you are at is at the beginning of the discovery of what has been in you all along and what you will find in the future.  Remember – “not overachievement”, just a matter of “under-discovery”!

Read the creation of challenges as set forth above again.  Use what you already know about yourself to avoid their creation or overcome them.  Be confident that you have within you what has yet to be uncovered to overwhelm the unexpected and associated complications.  I am a man of faith when it comes to you boys so don’t let me and more importantly, yourself down.