Lionel Messi just celebrated his 39th birthday recently. However, judging by his exceptional play at the world cup. Age is nothing but a number.
The biggest relevance of Messi’s birthday, is the fact that it represents life. Every day above ground as the saying goes.
Nevertheless, the truth is that of the Billions of people on this planet, only one of them is Lionel Messi. Moreover, there is no guarantee that any of the rest of us will have a trajectory, like Messi’s.
However, the point is, even Lionel never knew what his trajectory would be. Indeed, no one ever knows the future. All we have at best is that quiet voice within that gives us a hunch, a hint of our possible destiny.
The truth is, in many ways life is an educated guess for most of us. We weigh our options, consider our strengths and then bet on ourselves (read: our dreams).
Right up until the moment that we reach our end goal, there was no guarantee of success. Life is never about trying to be like Lionel Messi, Christian Ronaldo or any other accomplished person.
After all, they are them and we are us. However, one thing we can surely do is take inspiration from their stories and journeys.
Lionel Messi Started Early.
Lio, was just 13 years old when he began playing for Barcelona FC. If there is one act that symbolises what success is made of, it is being willing to take the plunge.
Dive in, get out of your head and just, get, started!!!! Staying still, suffering from paralysis by (over) analysis, is an agonizing way to kill yourself softly.
Action, specifically consistent action, is what your legacy will be built on. Anaylsis helps us avoid mistakes, but the biggest mistake of all is to be inactive.
No one is afforded any guarantees, the only certainty that any of us has, is us. Our resilience, our persistence, our defiance. Us, who we are and our abilities to act in our favor’s, time and time again are the real reasons our dreams have the potential to come true.
Moreover, the sooner you start, is the sooner you get to begin your learning curves and grow to be the best you can be. Also, the sooner, you start, is the sooner you finish too.
From South America To Barcelona, Spain, Europe.
Messi’s love for the game and ability to focus in on winning, despite the challenges, is definitely applause worthy.
Admittedly, Argentina’s economy is far less stable than Spain’s. However, as Messi himself alludes to in the clip above. From a cultural standpoint, leaving South America for Barcelona. Definitely speaks to the internal fortitude that is a big reason why LM, has become the legend that he is.
Risk, is unavoidable. Doing nothing and doing something all involves risk. However, being willing to risk it all, (all you’ve known) for all that you dream of, is the right type of risk.
Being willing to (within reason) risk it all for your dreams. Is normally what it takes for your dreams to come true. Most dreams require us to stretch, to grow, to be tested, en route to achieving them.
We all are already born with the tools and passions required to excel in some special way.
However, the journey to our dreams is normally inescapable. Adversity, putting in the work, being consistent, etc, etc, are just some of the non negotiable requirements that greatness, requires of us.
Like Robert Greene advises in the 48 Laws Of Power. We are best off despising the free lunch. Especially because earned meals, taste the best.
Taking Motivation From The Child Prodigy.
One of the most motivational things about Lionel Messi is that he invests the necessary time it takes to be great.
The irony, is that Messi is a child prodigy. With way more than the projected, 10,000 hours or ten years, required to have achieved mastery a la Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers.
However, winning means so much to Messi, that he refuses to be messy and leave anything to chance.
Instead Messi schedule’s his day in such a way (intentionally), so as to give himself the greatest chance of success. As previously alluded, this is Messi’s life’s work and if you peel the curtain back far enough. You’ll see that what really motivates Messi – is love – of the game, winning, of family, teammates and country.
It is possible to draw motivation and inspiration from Lionel Messi because he is both inspired and motivated (by love).
Therefore, it would be wise to let his example inspire and motivate us to use his example to encourage us in our own endeavors.
Learning From The Best To Be Our Best Selves.
Less because we are aiming to duplicate the results that Messi has achieved. However, more so because how Messi has achieved what he has, is motivational and inspirational.
By jumping in with both feet, putting all the time that we can, in to achieve our dreams and using love as motivation. We too give ourselves the best chance to be in the greatest of all time conversation.
Albeit, within our own fields of interests.
The irony is, that when we are humble enough to allow ourselves to draw inspiration/motivation from Lionel Messi. We simultaneously empower ourselves to be the best version of ourselves.