Quote: I could have been a contender

Remember Marlon Brando in that scene from On the Waterfront?

I don’t – I never watched it.

Maybe you haven’t seen the movie, either. But we all know that wonderful quote:

‘You don’t understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let’s face it.’

The power of that quote transcended that single movie scene and became an immortal part of our culture – because it expressed a dissatisfaction which people in every generation can identify with.

The reason Brando’s character didn’t become a successful boxer was the same reason so many of us don’t achieve our potential.

We copped out.

We didn’t try hard enough. We let other people persuade us to give up and settle for something else.

We had such dreams of success and such plans for a wonderful life, but we never reached them. It was always easier to make the wrong choices and let the dreams float away.

And we spent the rest of our lives thinking, ‘I could have been…’

If you’re going to get out of the slump and find a better life, it’s no good sitting on the sofa watching TV with a beer in one hand and a ciggie in the other, wishing you could win the lottery, or wondering why you never seem to get a lucky break. You won’t suddenly find a big pile of success hiding under one of your sofa cushions!

Life isn’t going to give you happiness and freedom on a plate; you have to earn them. It’s going to take time and effort and learning and determination – but it’ll be worth it.

Because you don’t want to be someone who could have been a contender – you want to win.