Vincent R Orlando

“Anything is Possible!”  I said this before and I’ll continue saying it.  “Anything is Possible!”  A life can change at the drop of a hat.  Miraculous cures have been discovered, new technology is on the horizon, and I would not go against a person’s will.  I still dream about being a catcher for the NY Yankees.  Doctors have made major advancements in the area of spinal cord injuries and stem cell research.  I don’t know if it is true, but I heard that Ted Williams had his head frozen (cryogenics) so his head (and brain) can be transplanted on a healthy body.  This sounds like science fiction but I believe that it is not that far off.  The possibility obviously exists while the probability is small – at least in my lifetime.  Yet, “I have a dream…”

Dreams are good.  They fill us with wonder and excitement.  They spur creativity and lead us to new adventures.  They give us something to do while we sleep (so the time is not wasted).  Except: Dreams are not goals.  Everyone knows that goals should be timely, measurable, and achievable (within reason).  Shoot for the stars.  “I want to be a millionaire” (very possible).  “I want to be a millionaire by the end of the week” (improbable: unless I win a lottery, or are so close to realizing the goal that it is not a far fetched dream).  “I want to play pool against the GREAT Willie Mosconi.”  Well, maybe in my dreams.  Perhaps I’ll see him in heaven.

“If he or she can do it, I should be able to do it!”  Possible – maybe / Probable – maybe.  This reeks for the response: “It Depends!”  Too many times, someone pitching their product or service says: “If I can do it, you can do it!”  Or, they talk about their lifestyle exclaiming that they are not bragging but only trying to give you incentive.  Yeah – incentive for you to give them your hard earned money.  Please, don’t get caught up in the hype.

Successful people are zealots.  They found something that they enjoy doing and incorporated their “uniqueness” into their business.  We are all unique in our own special way.  The only thing I question is the “passion.”  A person’s level of success is dependent on one critical area: their passion.  What do you want your legacy to be?  What do you want to be known for?  If you want to be known as another Ted Williams, Willie Mosconi, or any other famous person, you are doomed.  Why?  Because there is only one Ted Williams, Willie Mosconi, or any other famous person you name.  Their experiences made them who they are.  The people that influenced them made them who they are.  Their God given gifts made them who they are.  The sum of their life gave them their passion.  I don’t want to be known as another anybody.  I want to be known as the person who has overthrown the “so-called” king.  Or, I at least want to be known as the best Vincent Robert Orlando, Jr.  After all, that is who God intended me to be.

Accordingly, try to find your passion.  Keep trying new things and experience life to the fullest.  Instead of trying to hit life’s curveballs, become the pitcher.  Make your pitch and allow the miracles to happen to you.  I am sure that you have been pleasantly surprised when something occurred right when you needed it.  That was because you put it out there and allowed God to hit the ball.  “Hey – Batter, batter, batter, batter…”

Be Blessed!

A couple of days ago, I asked: “What do you Love to do?”  This question was raised in an attempt to demonstrate what I did to assist me in realizing my passion.  At the end of the blog, I challenged you to come up with a list of things that made you passionate.  Just thinking about the things that you love may not be enough, so here are a few more questions to think about: What are you doing that seems like only a few minutes have past when in reality, hours just flew by?  Or: What are some of your hobbies?  Finally:  What are you GREAT at doing – which you feel nobody does better? 

As I stated in previous blog entries, one of my dreams was to be a catcher for the NY Yankees.  At the age of thirteen, a doctor (Dr. Z) tried to steal my dream by telling me that I would never walk without the use of leg braces and crutches.  Yet, I still had the mindset of an athlete.  At around the same time, my father worked as a bartender at the Knights of Columbus (less than a mile from where we lived).  I would go see him on Saturday mainly because the bar area had a pool table.  On top of that, a game was only a dime.  Needless to say, I was not very good when I first started playing.  I would practice hours upon hours.  The only rule was that if a member wanted to play, I had to give up the table – no questions asked.  One day, a member wanted to play and my response was that he could have the table “if” he beat me.  My Dad was not amused but Jim was so we played a game.  I guess I don’t have to tell the outcome but I kept the run of the table.  I went on to play in college (mostly for drinking money), and did compete in the Amateur league where I met some GREAT players.  Later on in life, I played in the APA (Amateur Pool Association) just for fun.  I also wrote about raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, participating in their “Team-In-Training” program to assist people in marathon training.  Although I participated in the category of wheelchair athlete, it allowed me to nourish my competitive nature.  Therefore, if you enjoy doing something, you don’t have to be “the best” in order for it to be a passion of yours.  Remember the old saying: “Those who can do, and those who can’t teach.”  I studied to be a personal training coach.  I wanted to work with people that were “differently-abled” to build their muscles and prolong their lifestyle.  Unfortunately, I could not figure out how to put myself in the appropriate physical position to assist in an exercise program.  However, if I had the desire, I could train anyone in running a marathon or building their bodies.

The main point of this entry is to realize that you can have a passion for something and, even if you are not the most accomplished, can still be paid to do what you love to do.  Every successful business has what is known as a “Unique Sales Position” (USP).  In any endeavor you participate, your USP is you.  Everyone is an unique individual.  There is only one Vincent Robert Orlando Jr. in the world.  I’m it and I am the best at being him.  Nobody can touch me.  The same applies for you – especially when you discover what you are most passionate about.  Unique plus Passion equals Success (U + P = S).

Come back tomorrow when I will explore the difference between Possibility and Probability.

Be Blessed!