Unless you were on the moon this last week, you probably sat with the rest of America and watched Bob Costas interview Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz after Phelps equaled Spitz’s record of seven swimming medals in one olympic games.  The thing that struck me (like a ton of bricks) is when Spitz said, “Champions find a way to win.”  A similar comment was made during the gymnastics competition.  And it’s true.  Isn’t it interesting how champions seem to be able (time after time) to snatch victory from the very jaws of defeat?

As I thought about it, I realized the same was true in business.  As I’ve wathced, over the years, it seems to me that successful people always seem able to find a way to succeed.  I haven’t decided whether that’s a gift, or something that can be learned.  But I know for sure that successful people are — well — successful.  They don’t give up and they don’t give in.  There is only one acceptable outcome to any situation, and that is the successful outcome.

I remember the story of a friend who was having trouble with the autopilot on his airplane.  It seemed that randomly (and at the most in-opportune times,) the autopilot would engage, lock out the pilot and fly wherever it wanted (usually toward an obstacle.)  After a couple of trips to the factory (and no problems found) a technician was sent to Idaho to observe the problem.  While flying around the tetons, the autopilot mysteriously locked up while the plane was on a collision course for the Grand Teton.  After trying briefly to disengage the  autopilot, the technician threw up his hands and said, “We’re going in.”  My friend grabbed him by the shoulders, pulled him out of the pilot’s seat and taking his place said, “The hell we are!”  After fighting the autopilot for what seemed an eternity, my friend was able to regain control and avert disaster.

This is a long story to illustrate that when things get really tough, some people throw their hands up in the air and say, “We’re gonna die,” while others  — unwilling to fail — move them aside and save the day.  Are you the kind of person who gives up, or the kind who finds a way to succeed?  You don’t have to “accept the inevitable.”  It’s only inevitable if you give up and do nothing (or proceed with a half-hearted effort.)  The game’s not over until it’s over.  Winners fight with all their strength and all their energy and enthusiasm until the absolute last minute.  They don’t lose hope and they don’t give up.  They live under the (correct) premise that until the game is over, they can still win (and they expect they’re going to.)  Successful people are experts at finding a way to win.  What kind of person are you?