success Archives - MarvinByrd.com

The Perfect Pull-Up

January 23, 2017 By Marvin Byrd

The Pull-Up is a very popular exercise designed to increase upper body strength. It is a very simple exercise to do. It can be done without any special equipment. All you need is something that can support your body weight as you pull up. Typically, people do pull-ups on a bar and one is achieved when when the chin rises above the bar. As one continues to work out and add more pull-ups to their routine, there comes a time when they need additional weight in order to increased their strength. Some people complete pull-ups wearing a weighted vest or wearing a belt with weight attached to it in order to increase the amount of weight they will have to pull up. Getting to the level where one is having to add weight to their pull up is definitely an achievement. Check out this guy lifting his body weight AND 100 lbs.

As a student, you should be completing pull-ups as well. I’m not talking about actual pull-ups, but you are required to pull your own weight. Pulling your own weight as a student means that your are tending to YOUR responsibilities. Here are just a few of them:

Do the things that your teacher asks you to do
Come to class on time
Focus and engage in the class discussion
Don’t be a distraction
Complete your assignments to the best of your ability and turn them in on time

These are just a few of the elements of a perfect pull-up. They require a lot of you and so it is very important that you focus on your responsibilities. Distractions and poor decisions can be added weight that you can’t afford to carry. Often times, when I will give an assignment, students will ask if they can work together. There is absolutely nothing wrong with working together and I encourage it. However, when you are deciding to work with someone else you need to make sure that you’re able to still pull your own weight. Perhaps there are times when you would like to work with someone else but you know in the back of your mind it will prevent you from completing the assignment either on time or to the best of your ability. This adds unnecessary weight and makes it difficult to handle your responsibilities. Just imagine someone adding weight to their pull-up when they aren’t quite ready. It is always wiser to make sure you can cover your responsibilities before you worry about anyone else. Pull Up and Up and Up. Think about it.

Marvin Byrd (c/o 98)

It Can Be Done

The Bounce Back

June 6, 2016 By Marvin Byrd

A ball is designed to bounce whenever an appropriate amount of force is applied to it. It is interesting to note that basketball is a sport in which the ball must always be bouncing in order for a player to move forward. A downward force is applied to the ball for most of the game. The expectation is that the ball always bounces back. The players know instinctively exactly how much force to apply to the ball in order for it to bounce back to their hand. If a player were to attempt to dribble a basketball and the ball didn’t bounce back to their hand, then the player would have a question about the basketball. Basketballs that don’t bounce back are no good to the players on the court. Basketballs that don’t bounce back have lost their purpose because they can’t be used as they were originally intended.

Definition of bounce back: to return quickly to a normal condition after a difficult situation or event

Basketballs aren’t the only things that need to bounce back. You must be able to bounce back as well. The definition of bounce back is: “to return quickly to a normal condition after a difficult situation or event.” Inevitably there are going to be times in which you struggle or fail to meet a goal you set. That’s not the end of the world. You have to make up in your mind that you are going to seek and use feedback in order to make it right the next time. Advice and feedback from adults is like air to a flat ball. Remember, you only really fail when you stop trying.

It can be done

Marvin Byrd (c/0 98)

Wishing won’t make it happen

July 13, 2015 By Marvin Byrd

There once was a man who found himself stuck after a huge storm knocked out the bridge ahead of him. It was also a 25 mile hike back to the town he came from. With no cell phone service to contact anyone in this small town, the man had to make a decision. Make the 25 mile journey, sit and wait for someone to find him, or try to find a way to cross the bridge which would leave him only 10 miles from the next town. The only issue is that if he waited for someone to find him, it would take a long time because the town was so small and he was in a wooded area. The quickest way for him to be rescued is if he made a decision to move: Make the 25 mile journey or cross the shallow but wide creek.

This story mirrors life in many ways. Success in life is all about movement, positive movement. Had the man stayed and waited, there were no guarantees about the outcome. He desired to be rescued, but wishing won’t make it happen. You have goals and hopes for your future. The positive movement you need pertains to your education, decisions, and effort. You have to do something in these areas of your life. Wishing won’t make it happen. It’s not enough. If wishing was all it took to make big things happen, then everyone would be successful with infinite amounts of money. Unfortunately, not everyone is willing to make a decision to create positive movement. It is so easy just to do the minimum. Doing the minimum is equivalent to sitting and waiting to be rescued like the man in the story. Do more than the minimum. Here are a few ways to create positive movement:

Request and use feedback from your teachers
Use a planner
Create a study schedule

MB (c/o 98)

It can be done

The Ladder of Success

June 16, 2013 By MarvinByrd.com

Have you ever heard about the Ladder of Success? It is a simple metaphor that illustrates how you should be moving in life towards the ultimate goal in your life. Let’s break it down. A ladder is designed to support your weight as you move upward. Ladders are designed to be maneuvered carefully step-by-step. Skipping steps can be dangerous. Without a ladder, it is impossible for you to reach certain heights. It would seem silly to get a ladder to reach a high place and not use it. It is even more insane to take only a couple of steps up the ladder without ever reaching the top.

Are you moving up the ladder or are you idle? Do you have a vision in mind that guides everything you do or are you willing to “just graduate” with a 2.0 GPA? The thing about the Ladder of Success is that it is very evident who is climbing and who is idle. Those around you can tell. Your teachers know based on your actions and academic performance. The good news is that The Ladder of Success is available to everyone. After all, that’s why you have to go to school. School represents steps on the ladder as you climb to reach your ultimate goal in life. If you are climbing up the ladder, good job. If you aren’t taking advantage of the ladder, I would ask you: Why Not?

Marvin Byrd (c/o 98)

It Can Be Done