Digging through some old boxes, I stumbled upon my high school year book from the year I graduated. Inside the cover I discovered an essay I'd written when I was seventeen.
I don’t remember writing the essay but was impressed to see my 90% grade handwritten by my teacher at the top of the first page. Given that I started high school as a C student, I’m pretty proud of this and am not ashamed to brag a little about something I wrote close to three decades ago.
The title of my essay is “Ambition.” I started by describing the values of honesty, hard work, and integrity that were instilled in me by my father - who had received them from his father. I went on to explain how these values had shaped my moral compass and drive to succeed. For example, as a young athlete, my dad ensured I understood the importance of consistently showing up for practice and continuous focus on improving my skills.
My essay went on to talk about the learning disability I was diagnosed with at a young age and the lack of confidence I held in my scholastic abilities. Again, my dad was there to support and encourage me. This started to rub off on me and I began setting higher standards for myself during grade eleven. By the end of that year I had improved my average grade by 10 points from 63% to 73%. By the end of my first semester in grade 12, I achieved my goal of 80% and continued working hard to improve beyond this.
“If you would have told me in grade ten that I would be getting these marks in grade twelve, I probably would not have believed it. My father on the other hand, would have.” - 17 year old Gavin.
The belief my father showed in me helped me (a) improve my academic performance by over 30% from the time I started high school to the year I graduated, (b) end up on the Dean’s List upon graduation from my undergrad degree (Kinesiology and Psychology), and (c) successfully earn an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.
The point of this is two fold…
(1) Our current level of success does not indicate what we are truly capable of achieving in the future. Stay focused, stay committed, and keep working hard for things that matter.
(2) When you consistently show others that you believe in them, you will help them achieve more success that they ever thought possible.
Belief is a powerful force in this universe. Thank you to my dad - and every other person on this planet - who believed in me before I was ready to believe in myself. I am working hard to make this world better because of you, your support, and your love.
Pearl Jam's cover of I Believe in Miracles by The Ramones is one of my favourite songs. I really like the intro to this version... “It just makes you crazy sometimes. You try to do some good things and there are people out there who are going to test your will and try to desecrate your hope.” - Eddie Vedder
If you're someone who believes in miracles and is working to make the world better through a for-profit or nonprofit organization, then I'd love to chat with you.
About EOS
EOS is a simple, complete and proven system for running a truly great organization. As an EOS Implementer, I help my clients create organizational alignment, execute with accountability and discipline, and work together as a healthy team.