Foundation of Success

I want to share and discuss the structure of an iceberg as a metaphor for our success. An iceberg sitting in the water has an “above the water” view we see, while submerged under the surface is a large hidden section. Like the iceberg, we see success in others and see the glory of it, while the foundation of the journey is below the water out of view. It’s common for us to assume success comes naturally or easily to people we look up to. The foundation of that success is always there under the surface, even though you may not see it at first.

As we chase success, we must be just as concerned with our foundation as we are with our image and our results. There is required “underwater” work that no one sees (also called the unseen hours or working in the dark). This is what we should fall in love with, this is essentially the process of growing/getting better/success. You must continue doing these things long past the first benchmark of success in order to stay “successful”. 
The iceberg a great visual to keep in mind, especially when we may be in a slump, not seeing results we want, or even when we think we have arrived. As you study, emulate, or think about your mentors or heroes, consider what their foundation is and how they built and continue to maintain their success. Also, think about what you are building in your iceberg as a strong foundation to support what you want in life.
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One of my favorite quotes from soccer legend Mia Hamm about putting in the work and training “in the dark”:
“The vision of a champion is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion, when nobody else is looking.” 

#getbetter