Former football coach Barry Switzer once said, “Some people are born on third base and go through life thinking they hit a triple.”You know someone like that, don’t you?And they irk the hell out of you don’t they?If you’ve seen Coach Switzer deliver one of his clever lines like this one before, you know he does so with a wry, crooked grin on his face because he knows damn well he’s funny. I love the guy – despite the fact that he and his Sooners bested my Huskers more often than not back in the day.That was a long time ago.I’m still pretty chapped about it, incidentally.
A Lesson From The Supreme Sooner
But Barry Switzer isn’t just a witty Husker-beating football coach. He’s also an intelligent guy who knows a lot about success, achievement, and human relations.What he’s saying is that there are some people who are born with or given certain advantages in life, don’t appreciate them, and behave as if they somehow earned or were entitled to those advantages.I’m not disparaging people who are lucky enough to have advantages or breaks. Good for them. High fives and fist bumps. We’ve all been on the receiving end of a leg up from time to time – and it’s awesome.
Gratitude vs. Entitlement
The real issue is gratitude vs. entitlement.What is interesting is how differently fortunate people can behave.Some of those people are intolerable tools who expect those types of amazing advantages to be lavished upon them in perpetuity. These types look down upon those who haven’t accomplished or experienced the things they have.But the grateful understand what an awesome advantage they were given and appreciate the hell out of it. These folks live each day in gratitude for that which they have received, work hard, and do their best to bring others along with them whenever possible.So if you were born on third…good for you. Sincerely. That’s great.Just don’t act like you smacked a 98 mile an hour fastball all the way to the wall to get there if you didn’t.Be thankful for your leg up. Accept it humbly. Do your best to bring it home – and then do everything in your power to bring a few other folks home with you.Be grateful. Bring others with you. Don’t be a tool. What advantages have you been the recipient of?How have you brought others along with you?Who has been kind enough to bring you along with them?