Tom Brady

It is hard.

It's hard when you're young to wake up in the off-season at 6 a.m.

to go train and work out, knowing that all your friends are sleeping in and eating pancakes.

It's hard when you're on your way to practice, weighed down with all your gear, and it's 90 degrees out and all the other kids are at the pool or at the beach.

It's hard to throw, catch, block and tackle and hit kids when they're way bigger and way more developed than you, only to go home that night bruised and battered and strained, but knowing you have to show up again the next day for just the chance to try again.

But understand this, life is hard.

No matter who you are, there are bumps and hits and bruises along the way.

And my advice is to prepare yourself because football lessons teach us that success and achievement come from overcoming adversity.

I remember being downstairs for the fourth round, and I came and gone.

And the fifth round was coming and going, and all these other guys were getting picked.

And it was hard.

I remember taking a walk with my dad and mom around the block.

Sorry about that.

It was just a tough day.

Finally, when the Patriots called, I was so excited.

I was like, I don't have to be an insurance salesman.

All those experiences that we think are the hardest things in our life end up being the best experiences in our life because if you approach it with humility and you look inward, they become the best opportunities for growth and learning.

Because I developed this work ethic in high school and I realized, man, if I want to be good, I got to wake up in the morning and I got to do the extra work and I got to show up when other guys aren't and I've got to learn.

I've got to continue to be open to learning.

To be successful at anything, the truth is you don't have to be special.