Success is Primal
When I played football in high school, I learned that the best players weren’t always the ones with talent, skill, or great physical assets. Very often, the best players were the ones who simply wanted it the most. They were mean, hard, and focused on their goal. Back in those days, I was fast, but I wasn’t primal. I didn’t have that killer instinct. We had this one guy on our team that was smaller than me, but he didn’t think twice about tackling someone much larger than him.
Looking back, I see the primal nature of success and why it matters. Talent, skill, and ability are important, but when it comes to success, I’m betting on the one who has a gut level, blinding desire to succeed. They’re the ones who will stay up late, burn the midnight oil, and do whatever it takes to win. They look at the odds and ignore them.
Certainly they can go overboard, but the fact is, if you want to get to the top, get your voice heard, or get noticed, it will take far more than talent. It will take a burning – primal – desire. The kind of desire that doesn’t take “no” for an answer, and simply does not quit.
That can’t be learned – it has to be found deep, down inside.
The question is – do you have it?
Phil Cooke, PhD. has been called “one of the most innovative communicators of our generation.” As a media producer, writer, speaker, and consultant, his client list includes major film studios and TV networks as well as major Christian organizations like Voice of the Martyrs, The Museum of the Bible, The Salvation Army, and others. He’s also coached and consulted with many of the most influential churches and nonprofit organizations in the world, helping them use media to tell their story. You can hear his podcast here.
