When I was in my teens and not good at basketball, people from the neighborhood would walk past the courts where I was practicing during those hot summer afternoons and talk shit to me.

"Why are you out there every day? You didn't even make your high school team – you’re practicing for nothing!"

On the surface, they had every reason to believe this -- I had no prior success in basketball, and any reasonable person would've looked at me and thought the same thing they did: Give it up and find something else to do. 

But I'm not reasonable. And I always knew, even before I understood it enough to explain it, that I never wanted to think or behave in any way that made me like any of them.

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There will be times when it seems like you're doing the work for nothing. Times when it would be much easier to quit and do something that gains you more acceptance and approval of others.

Understand this: The only time you should seek someone's approval is when you want to be just like them.

Also understand: Hard work isn't supposed to be easy and comfortable and understood by average, reasonable people. If it was, it wouldn't be hard!

You are better off being prepared for an opportunity that never comes, than to be unprepared for one that does. One leads to character and strong habits, the other leads to regret.

Which would you rather live with?


‪#WOYG