Being a champion and overcoming strife and obstacles in life to become your best self is never easy, but athletes, parents and citizens of Troy heard what it truly took to be successful from Dr. Kevin Elko.

Elko spoke to those who gathered in the Trojan Arena Monday guiding them to strive and reach for higher success in life, explaining to them that their tongues were a rudder to their life, shaping every aspect of their day-to-day coming and going emphasizing that how “you speak to you” was the most direct factor for success.

“How do you talk to you,” Elko asked. “Do you know what small thinking is? Do you know what hate is? Do you know what prejudice, racism is? It’s how you talk to you. You’ve got to change that … because somebody told us something 5,000 times and now you’re saying it to yourself.”

Elko also spoke on what it takes for “grit,” which takes dedication and more than just hard work.

“The No. 1 factor in success is grit,” Elko said. “That’s the No. 1 factor. Here’s what grit is—I don’t quit. Here’s what grit is—I can’t be stopped … In the miracle in Cana, they had to carry 180 gallons of water, and they just kept carrying it. Ready for our phrase? It’s inside this ring. Keep carrying the water until it becomes wine.”

Elko also encouraged people to stop the “blame game,” to let go of blaming others for the situations they were in and own up to them and instead of complaining say, “So what, now what.”

“You’re down on the depth chart,” Elko said. “You’re No. 7. So what, now what? Now what … Stop complaining. Stop the blame game, stop it. You can die in the wilderness form complaining. The now is right now. Be where your feet are. I don’t care what happened. What are you going to do now? Be where your feet are.”

Elko ended out his sermon to all those in attendance opening the floor to anyone who had questions. Athletes from every Pike County high school took the microphone in their hands and asked Elko their most pressing question, but one stood out to Elko.

After Elko preached to the athletes to find their gifts and to work on them and hone their talents, Mya Terry, a softball and volleyball player for Pike Liberal Arts, was left wanting more. She asked Elko how she could find her gift, how she would know what hers was, and as he paused to think about it, he said, “I just say follow your bliss.”

“What do you love doing?” Elko asked. “I always gravitated toward communication, and I think you just go toward something you love and you find out you love it. Then you start getting some feedback. You have something there. Just listen for feedback and just go to what you love.”