Beating All Odds

Foreword by Rudy Ruettiger
The inspiration behind the TriStar hit movie RUDY

The odds were stacked against me my whole life. I grew up in a small Midwestern blue collar town. No one in my family had ever gone to college, let alone graduated from college. I had several brothers and sisters, and from a young age, I was never encouraged to dream of big things in life. I was just told, and expected, to do what I could to get through high school and get a job at the local factory.
Growing up, my father passed along one major passion to me that changed my life forever. It was a love and passion for anything to do with the University of Notre Dame, especially Notre Dame football. When I was a child, our family gathered around the television on Saturday afternoons to watch the Fighting Irish play.

I remember the time I stood up and told my family that one day I would play football for the University of Notre Dame. They laughed in my face and told me to look forward to a future working in the factories. As a result of accepting other people’s opinions of me growing up, and sizing up my odds, I began to follow other people’s plans for my life.

I barely graduated from high school, and sure enough, ended up working in the factory with my best friend. I initially accepted that I was too small, too slow and didn’t have the grades to get anywhere near Notre Dame. My conclusions at that point were the same as my family’s. For the first four years after high school, I didn’t have what it took to beat the odds and play football at Notre Dame.

Then something happened that changed my life. My best friend lost his life in a terrible work accident at the factory. This was the same friend who’d always believed in my dream of playing football for Notre Dame. He’d even bought me a Notre Dame varsity football jacket for my birthday the year before. As a result of that tragedy, I made a decision to beat my odds. Four years later, I was carried off the football field my senior year, something that has never happened again since that day in 1975. Later on in life, I beat the odds again when I risked everything I had to get the award-winning movie Rudy made.

Through this process, I have learned we all have an underdog spirit inside us. I learned that no matter what your circumstances are in life, if you believe in your visions, work hard enough and never give up or give in to others’ opinions of you, you can beat the odds and achieve all your life’s goals. You are in the driver’s seat! I learned it takes hard work, determination and a level of belief like never before. I learned that no matter what the odds are, you do have what it takes if you follow your heart and take consistent action on your goals. As a result, you certainly can and will beat all odds.

In this powerful book, Beating All Odds, Dr. Taylor Clark shows you how to discover exactly what to do to succeed in life and overcome all odds you might face along the way. Dr. Clark has overcome some tremendous odds in his life—he’s been there. He has intensely studied the field of personal growth and development for more than sixteen years. He has simplified the best material available to show you how to find and achieve your goals and dreams, despite any circumstances, challenges or obstacles that might stand in your way.

Dr. Clark helps you determine your ultimate goal in life. He helps you create a plan of action and sets you on the journey to realize your biggest dreams. He breaks it down into bite-size pieces to help you gain the needed confidence, vision and determination to do what few others think you can.

He becomes your partner, accountability coach and guide as you realize your dreams. Dr. Clark has discovered what I learned during the process of becoming a football player at the University of Notre Dame. This secret to success will change your life, allow you to beat the odds and experience the realization of your dreams.

I challenge you to take action on your destiny. Don’t just read this book—study it. Carry it with you, memorize the quotes and use it as your daily companion to overcome and conquer any and all odds standing in your way.

I hope you are ready for an exciting journey. This book will change your life and the life of your family for years to come. It will give you the ability to re-write your future and empower you to beat every obstacle standing in your way. If I were a betting man, I’d be willing to place my bet on you beating the odds once you read this book and apply its wisdom to your life.

Down, set, hike….The game has begun. You are now playing with the best in the world. Let this book become your playbook and I promise you can beat your biggest competition, which is your own mind and self-limiting beliefs. This book will allow you to score and win in your own game of life.

Looking back at your success ten years from now, you will see it was this book that turned the momentum in your favor. You’ll attribute Dr. Clark’s book to the first play in the success movie of your life. This life-changing book certainly is the missing piece of the puzzle that will help you beat your odds and soar in life! You may never be the same again.