ideas into a rhyming pattern is quite fulfilling.
Following each segment, you will find “Paramount Points.” These are the main takeaways from each section and should be used not only as inspiration but also as daily reminders to keep yourself on track. Even after finishing the book, these ideas should be constantly reexamined to hold yourself accountable and keep yourself in the proper mindset. We all know how easy it is to get distracted in this world, so do yourself a favor and steadily brush up on these success secrets.
With that said, I give you Trust the Grind. While I can’t make any guarantees, I can promise you one thing: after reading this story, you will undoubtedly be in a better position to identify your true purpose and live a life of full satisfaction than if you didn’t pick up this book.
As always, be great, and avoid hate.
The First Time I Met Dr. Seuss
The first time I met Dr. Seuss,
I brought a notepad that I knew I would put to use,
At this point, Seuss was in his prime,
Teaching the youth how to read and rhyme,
I was obsessed with Green Eggs and Ham,
Hoping one day I would run into Sam-I-am
But meeting the creator of the Grinch was cool enough
And there he was, possessing a beard with days of scruff.
“Hello, Mr. Seuss, I am a huge fan of your books,
Your diction is exceptional, and I love the hooks!”
“Why thank you, young boy,” he said with a smile,
“It’s not every day a little kid compliments my style.
I see you brought some paper with you.
Would you like an autograph? Who should I make it out to?”
“To be honest sir, your signature would be neat,
But this paper is going to help me accomplish a feat.
See, we have a poem due next week in school,
And I thought I would ask for some help. Is that cool?”
“Sure thing, boy,” he said with conviction,
“Is the poem going to be one of fact or fiction?”
“Fiction sir, and to earn a gold star,
I was thinking of making it about a fast car.”
“Great idea son, a speedy car is unique,
Have you written anything down? May I take a quick peek?”
“Well, I decided that he will be driving in the rain,
But other than that, my ideas have been pretty plain.”
“Adding in the weather was a smart move.
Here, let me offer some advice to help you get in a groove.
Let’s step away from the car and the rainy day.
What overarching message are you trying to portray?
Every poem should be used as a learning tool.
Here is how we can make this poem rule:
I got to where I’m at in my career by setting goals
So let’s talk about how important they are to educate young souls.
A life without goals is like a car without wipers on a rainy day—
Moving forward in life with no clear vision, and constant disarray.
However, when we write down our goals and say them out loud,
We stay focused and make our families real proud.
When the car in our story states his future desires,
He will add on his wipers and get some fresh new tires.
So even on days when nothing is going right,
The car’s wipers will make sure he keeps a clean sight.
Now along with writing down my thoughts,
Write down a goal! Heck, write lots and lots!
Setting goals allows us to move forward with ease,
And constantly reviewing them is one of the keys.
So good luck with your poem and your cool made-up car.
Take this advice with you, and you’ll go real far.”
“The goal that kept me motivated throughout my baseball career was getting to the big leagues and playing with the best players in the world.”
As a kid, Chipper Jones certainly set small goals like making the high school team as an eighth grader, but reaching the MLB was always his main focus.
Growing up in Pierson, Florida, the renowned Fern Capital of the World, Jones knew at a very young age that growing and selling fancy greenery was not as fun as hitting fastballs. His father, Larry Jones, was the head coach of the baseball team at Pierson Taylor High School, which allowed Chipper to be introduced to the game before he could even swing a bat. No, seriously. As a young boy, Chipper would stand in front of the family’s wooden garage, holding a thirty-three-inch piece of PVC pipe about two inches thick and would hack away at the tennis balls his dad would pitch to him.
Although Larry grew up in Virginia, his favorite player was New York Yankees superstar Mickey Mantle. Mantle, a National Baseball Hall of Famer who won three MVP Awards and was named to the American League All-Star team twenty times, is arguably the greatest switch-hitter in MLB history. Once Chipper started crushing the ball onto the saran covering the ferns on the family farm, his father had him start practicing from the other side of the plate in hopes of developing the next Mickey Mantle.
Even when his dad wasn’t around, Chipper was focused on his lofty goal of playing in the Show. Those who lived within the neighborhood would often see Chipper throwing tennis balls against a wall by himself, eager to perfect his fielding skills. Overly invested and on a mission, baseball was always on Chipper’s mind. “When you grow up in a baseball family,” Chipper said in a 1997 interview with The Atlanta Constitution, “It’s all you’re talking about at the dinner table, on the ride to school. It was always baseball.”
As Chipper grew older, Larry and Lynne Jones, Larry’s wife and Chipper’s mother, saw something special brewing with their only child. In a Little League district playoff game, squaring off against one of the top
