Life Management: Secret of Success- Aptitude or Attitude?

Recently i read an article on the newpaper which inspired me to write this blog. A soccer player by the name of Ryan Giggs was featured. He had just scored the 150th goal for his club Man Utd during his 851th competitive match. Anybody who knows about soccer would know about him. At the age of 36 when most players have already retired with big beer belly and a battered body, he is still going strong. Currently he is at the top of the game by being a key player for the team that had just won the league title last season! Finally he revealed his secret: YOGA! He is unbelievable. Having played for his team since 17 years old, he is one of the most decorated player having won more than 10 league titles, 4 FA cups, 2 league cups, 2 champions league, and 1 world club cup. He had won numerous player of the year awards and stil counting!!! For all these years, he shy away from media and parties, prefering to have a good rest after matches. He focus his mind on his games and never allow anything to distract him. He take good care of his body, didnt have any major injuries. That's why at 36, he is stil scoring goals and creating goals for his team.



Soccer players are well known to be very poor in managing their life off the field. They are showered with tons of millions of dollars at a young tender age and most of the time they are not given proper advice about how to live their life n what to do with those obscent sum of money. They party, booze, and live the high life with woman, drugs and fast car. Many talented players such as Diego Maradona, George Best, Paul Gascoigne, become victimised by their own bad lifestyle. They ended their promising career prematurely and spiraled downwards in their life off-field. Diego Maradona captained his team in world cup and single handed won the world cup at the age of 26. However, 5 yrs later, he was caught positive for drugs twice and was banned from competitive soccer. He continued his drugs habits and he suffered massive heart attack that almost took his life. George Best is one of the best winger for Man Utd. Blessed with good looks and silky good skills, he won numerous awards. But partying life and alcoholism took a toll on his body and by the age of 30, he was struggling in his game and had to retire early. At the time of his death, he was bankrupt and died from liver cancer due to too much alcohol. Paul Gascoigne was another soccer prodigy that ended his otherwise promising career in a similar tragedy. He suffered from severe alochol addiction and would turn abusive whenever he is drunk. He is divorced and struggled in his life after he soccer playing days.

What I'm trying to illustrate is that while a person can be incredibly talented, he or she must be equally hardworking, disciplined and be humble at the same time, in order to be successful. Its not how successful you can be, but its how long you can stay successful. Success is not a past tense. It is a present tense. If success gets to your head, you will lose it all very quickly. So don't be a Diego Maradona, be a Ryan Giggs. He is the perfect example for all young people on how to live your life right :)

In conclusion, the secret of success is the application of both aptitude and attitude. Period.