Following the Dallas Cowboys first Super Bowl when in the 1970s, many expected them to repeat as champions the following year. But they didn’t. While some players came back and worked with the same intensity that next season, others looked at the ring on their finger and were satisfied that they had achieved “the ultimate.”
In an interview, Coach Tom Landry stated, “That sort of thing takes the edge from their play. They’re no longer dedicated and persistent. . . When that happens, you’re no longer a Super Bowl team. . . Either you’re satisfied or you’re not. A man must dedicate himself to a goal. He won’t be a success in pro football unless he persists toward that goal. If you don’t do it, somebody else will and you’ll watch the Super Bowl on television.”
It is far too easy to achieve a goal and then think we have arrived. But unless we are at the end of our life, growing complacent can rob us of our effectiveness and our ability to still make a difference in the world around us. As Coach Landry said, “Either you’re satisfied or you’re not.” As men and women who have been called by God to live life to the fullest, I hope that you are never “satisfied” (complacent) but are continually reaching for the next goal.