The Boy That Will Be King

Hello,

Where ever your reading this right now, if it’s the first week of December I’m at the National finals rodeo competing for a World Championship. I’m the oldest guy at the National Finals and it should be a testament to all people that if you have a dream, go after it. All I ever wanted to do in my life was to be a world Champion and now 25 years after I won the Championship I have a chance to win it again. What’s should be so encouraging about that is I’ve told you before that I’m not a very talented guy and the reason I know that is because I’ve tried all kinds of sports and I’m bad at all of them. I played football in school. I was too slow and didn’t like people running over me. I played baseball and had dreams of the ball hitting me in the head. I boxed and didn’t like getting hit in the face at all. I played basketball and the coach never put me in a game except on time it was our home coming game and to this day I still don’t know why he put me in. He looked over at me and said Woodard your in and I said I’m what?

When I realized he was talking abut the game I got so excited I run onto the floor and on the second possession the opposing team had the ball and they took a shot and missed. They got the ball back and shot again and missed. They got the ball back and shot again and missed and the ball came right to me. Guess what I did? I shot and that would have been great but I shot at there basket and Thank God I missed. Shortly after that the coach took me out. So I’m telling you that I’m not very talented, I know what I’m talking about. If I can do what I’ve done this year anyone can reach there dreams as well but you have to begin. You have to start, take that first step and if you fall get up. Just keep getting up, crawl forward if you have to and never give up. Keep running your head into that brick wall a thousand times and when everyone else has given up keep hammering away and just abut the time you think there is no hop you see the slightest of cracks in the wall and just keep going towards the light. I think all of us are capable of great things but were afraid to fail. What if this and what if that. I got one for you. What if you never tried what a shame that would be. Pick out something that you’ve always wanted and go after it and stop worrying about other people might think. That use to hold me back. I grew up a little fat kid and when I first got into the rodeo business I tried to fit in but no matter how hard I tried, my pants were to short and then they were too long. My hat wasn’t shaped right and my shirt didn’t match my boots and then one day I looked in the mirror and said I like my shirt and I like my pants and I think my hat looks just fine and besides this isn’t a fashion show it’s a roping contest and my mother told me when I was a little kid that it doesn’t matter how old your clothes are or what they look like as long as they are clean you don’t have anything to be ashamed of she said that here wasn’t any reason that you clothes should be dirty except being lazy and that was unacceptable, So I quite caring what everybody else thought and started concentrating on what I wanted. Below average people talk about other people, average people talk about material things, Above average people talk about Ideals, goals, and there plans on how there going to achieve those things. I want to be in that third group. You keep track of what everyone is wearing if you want to but I’m not, I don’t have time. I got things to do.
I’m convinced that success is not about talent. It’s more about determination. If y9ur determination to succeed is strong enough you will succeed. It’s just that simple. All of us are born the same way, untalented. Were not born to fly jets, or climb mountains, or rope steers. We have to learn those things and I believe all of us had a dream at one time and its still in all of us so why not go after it. What happened to that dream I believe it’s still in there and it’s time to wake it up. I know I’ve heard it said about you before you’re too old and I’m telling you that your not. I’m not and neither are you. You’re too tall, too short, too young, and too thin, you’re a girl and it’s never been done before. So it sounds like someone needs to be the first and why not me.
I heard a little boy one time tell his mother, Mom I am the little boy that will be king. And the mother looked at her son and said, there aren’t any kings around here. To which the little boy said replied see there we need one. That little boy was me and we never want to forget that spark that all of us still has inside of us just because we have had set backs during our lives and things haven’t turned out like we had planed. Its not to late but you got to get up and begin. Do something everyday that is going to bring you one step closer to that goal that you have always dreamed of.
I have a wonderful fried of mine that is a Doctor and he told me along time ago that this life isn’t a dress rehearsal We will never be back here again This is it, were not getting ready for the next time. Don’t wait any longer; act now because tomorrow may be too late. If I can do it anyone can and as you read this I’m doing it. Let’s go its never to late.
Until next month
Thanks for your time
Walt Woodard