Born on Third Base

I recently had the privilege of giving an address at the Boys & Girls Club of Sheboygan County Leadership Awards dinner. My mission was to impress upon the attendees the merits of donating to the Boys & Girls Club. As I stood at the podium looking out on my audience, I couldn't help but notice that I was addressing some of the most successful people in the county: captains of industry, wealthy business people, doctors, lawyers and judges. I, myself, have been fortunate enough to find success both personally and professionally throughout my adult life. As I have gotten older, I have given increasing thought to the roots of that success. Was I just "special"? Was I a harder worker than everyone else? Were other people simply not as good as me or, worse yet, just lazier? Doubtless, the temptation is great to cast our personal narrative in a light most favorable and the value of hard work and talent cannot credibly be debated. That said, I am increasingly of the belief that what separates the "successful" from the "non", at least materially, are circumstances that have little to do with being special.