“I’ve missed more than nine thousand shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been entrusted with the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life, and that’s why I succeed.” This is how Michael Jordan describes how he became the Greatest Basketball Player of all Time and this is from someone who was cut from his high school basketball team! How did he believe that he would become the greatest even when he couldn’t make the high school team?
To put it simply, he didn’t give it much thought, he was upset at first but eventually became angry. The anger motivated him to do something about it. It helped him realize that he wasn’t as good as he thought. His parents gave him the support he needed (a basketball and basketball hoop and not a stable one either!). He became obsessed with getting better and would practice for hours on a dirt court in his backyard. Unbeknownst to him, the uneven ground helped develop the quickness of his hands and the unstable backboard helped him focus on hitting perfect angles on the backboard. Perhaps the biggest realization of all is that if he were going to be successful in basketball or in life, he needed to put in hard work because nothing would come easy.
Whether in basketball or golf, being good is not good enough if you dare to dream of greatness! Winning a junior club championship alone is not good enough to make a collegiate team. Does this minimize the importance of the win or make you a bad player? NO! Those small successes may mean your golf skills are proficient, but does not make you a great player. Knowing Michael Jordan’s story can give us a glimmer of hope as we all have the ability to be great at something even if we are cut, fired or given up on. Like Jordan, you have to believe that anything is possible if you work hard enough at it with the right attitude!
I believe anything is possible if you put in the time, focused effort, and grit to see your work through. The journey is tough and will test your limits but that will present you with the opportunity for a breakthrough. You will fail but this will only help you learn resilience. Dig deeper and go for your greatness!
Enjoy Your Journey!
