Many of you might not of heard of the name Lou Gehrig in the UK as our baseball heritage isn’t the strongest! But hopefully by then end of this short article you’ll understand what a remarkable person he was and some of the lessons we can learn from him to apply to our own lives!!
Lou was born into poverty but instead of using this as an excuse he used this as significant driver in his life. Despite a challenging start in he never missed a day of school and regularly attended gymnastics classes at the request of his parents and from which he developed tremendous lower body strength. Despite this he was an ungainly athlete who had to work hard as he was not blessed with graceful athletic movement and technical skills. Lou was not born a gifted athlete, he made himself into one of the best of all time through sacrifice, dedication and commitment. He didn’t drink or smoke but had the humility to not pass judgement on those around him that chose to. He merely saw abstinence from such activity as the best pathway to achieving the success he visualised and desired.
Lou Gehrig played 1st base for the New York Yankees in 2130 CONSECUTIVE games for the New York Yankees over 17 seasons in the M.L.B. He never missed a game !!!
He had a career batting average of 340 including some 495 home runs. This amazing feat of physical and mental endurance stood unchallenged for 55 years. Lou is a 6th all-time RVI, 2x MVP, 7x All-Star and 6x World champion and M.L.B Hall of Famer.
In addition to these games Lou travelled over 200,000 miles primarily by train and bus playing in exhibition games all over the globe.
He played through illness. Multiple injuries, once being struck on the head by a pitcher who remarked to Lou ‘that will be the end of the run then’. Despite requiring hospital admission, the next innings Lou was back on the plate the following game. Doctors once x-rayed his hands to find 17 healed fractures, yet Lou had never sought treatment or complained and remained steadfast in his appearances at the plate.
Lou was a ‘quiet leader’ – one that lead by example on the pitch and brought others on the journey with him. Lou was relentless in his routines and a pillar of his success was dedication toward physical fitness. He had high expectations of those around him and this allowed them to achieve incredible success at his side. Surround yourself with other like-minded people with similar goals and aspirations and the chances of success are greatly improved.
Dedication pays dividends.
Discipline isn’t deprivation – it brings it’s own rewards for those committed enough to achieve their goals.
At the end of his phenomonal career, aged just 36, Lou was unfortunately diagnosed with A.L.S (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) which is a life limiting, neuro-degenerative disease. Yet despite this recent diagnosis he stood at the plate on his final game and gave this speech
2 years after diagnosis he passed away leaving behind him one of the greatest sporting legacies ever achieved
We live in a comfortable era (mostly) and generally standards of living are at their highest for many. Unfortunately, this also allows an age of Alibi’s – people/athletes giving excuses as to why their desired outcomes aren’t attained.
A primary question to ask yourself is – How much do you want it ???
If the desire for change isn’t strong enough or commitment to change isn’t consistent enough then these goals will be more difficult to achieve or impossible to do so.
A hallmark of Lou’s career was his relentless desire to achieve high standards both externally and internally and thereby influence others around him. You can do the same.
Lou didn’t use excuses not to turn up and perform. You can do the same.
Lou wasn’t a ‘born athlete’ – he created everything he subsequently became through hard work, sacrifice and dedication. You can do the same.
You are capable of more than you think – even in extremely challenging circumstances. Lou often worked in the ‘ugly zone’. You can do the same.
Adversity is a driver for change. Lou was born into poverty but was steadfast in his vision of where he wanted to be in life. You can do the same.
When you find your passion in life – whatever it is – GO ALL IN. Only then you discover how fulfilled and content you can be in life.
This fascinating new epsiode of the High Performance Podcast with Danny Cipriani discusses this topic but also provides a deep insight into performance under pressure and the personal devlopment Danny made as a result.
Lou Gehrig was a remarkable man.
I have to be honest, that before Iistened to Ryan Holliday’s new book ‘Discipline is Destiny’, I wasn’t aware of this giant of sports performance.
I am now, and hopefully this article will make you aware of Lou Gehrig’s remarkable career and legacy along with the lessons we can all learn from him.