What did you want to be when you grew up? Ya know, when "grown ups" asked you what you wanted to do, do you remember what you told them?
I have no idea. I was probably going to be Spiderman. Or a fireman. Maybe a professional wrestler. Might have even been a truck driver with my own pet monkey.
The truth is, what most kids say they are going to do, and what they end up doing, is 100% out of phase.
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Parents have a lot to do with this.
Jimmie Johnson is a great driver. 6 Time Champ in NASCAR ... 6 times in a row. That's never been done. (edit: now 7 time champ)
He'll be in the Hall of Fame because his parents gave him the opportunity to make it to the Hall.
That's how it goes.
Unless you're a rapper or rock musician (and those things are certainly changing too), about the only way you're going to do what you wanted to do as a kid is have parents who support you wanting to do that.
It takes not only support, it takes money. Sometimes a lot of it.
The average family is said to spend over $700 a year on sports related activities for their children. That's more than pocket change - that adds up.
In most cases, that's 1/12-19th of a single mother's total pay for the entire year.
People try and buy Open Doors and Opportunity for their kids. Some can afford more. That's just a fact of life.
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There's a part of me where that drives me crazy. I mean, I see these stage mom's with the dancing girls or model girls or whatever and I think, "does that young girl really want to be dancing on stage and all that?"
Because I grew up in Nashville and know Nashville is big lights and big city to a lot of girls wanting to "make it", I also know that some really want that - even though they are too young to know what they want.
I know one girl who's mom would drive her to Nashville anytime she asked - and would do anything she wanted to do because ... well, just because. They had the money to do it.
Parents are the one's who give hope to the dream. Even if the dream is fueled by the person themselves.
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Here's the challenge - find those that don't have the parents that have the means to give hope to the dream - the poor, the out of touch, the one's who are possibly in prison or on drugs, and be the hope for them.
Be encouraging. Supportive. Be the person who says to them, "despite where you are, you can go where you want to do the things you need - and I'll help you as much as I can."
That's opening doors and providing opportunities.
They have to have talent or they will be crushed when they don't 'make it'.
They have to have ability or they will get left behind be others who are far more superior to them.
They have to have drive or they will become lost and never achieve or learn to on their own.
They have to have humility because they will not always have the opportunity to remain where they are should they make it - which means they have to appreciate everything someone does for them (this is probably the hardest part for 'talent' to comprehend - sacrifices were made on their behalf).
Very few, as we all know, make it for any length of time - if they 'make it' at all.
The thing that most differentiates talent is money.
Trump said this in The Art of the Deal when he said there are better tennis players than ... better singers than ... they're just in their garage...
Regardless the goal, the dream, the desire, the thought - everyone deserves a shot at something.
If you can provide that - do it. Get people on the big stage. Give them Open Doors and Opportunity.
Because no flies high without the help of others - especially parents. But outside of parents, mentors.
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