Someone told me this morning about the story of tennis great Andre Agassi, who had slid from a young top-ranked star into a surprisingly middle-aged (for a tennis player) afterthought. Then one day while attending his favorite restaurant in New York City, the owner wondered aloud how he'd get his children a college education.
Shortly afterward, Agassi donated enough shares of Nike stock to the owner to provide exactly that. In the glimmer of the restaurant owner's grateful tears, a mission was born.
Agassi started a college preparatory school from scratch. And suddenly his tennis matches were not about his livelihood or reputation. His purpose became to promote the school. His purpose became the education of youth.
In time, at an age when most tennis champions have become ex-champions on a downhill slope, he climbed the charts back to elite ranking.
What is that uniquely personal mission for each of us? Who or what is it that we live for, which drives us more nobly than any pursuit to benefit ourselves? When we find it and hold on tightly, it must be an incredible ride.
No comments:
Post a Comment