Be Great

It was May 7, 1989, and I was sitting on my living room floor, inches away from my family’s old tube television. I was locked in on the NBA game that was unfolding on the screen before me. It had been a back-and-forth game and I could feel the tension rising inside of me. With three seconds left in the game, Craig Ehlo scored to put the Cleveland Cavaliers up by one over the Chicago Bulls and looking like they'd be moving on to the next round of the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Cavs, the Bulls had Michael Jordan.
After the timeout, the Bulls inbounded the ball from just beyond half-court. Jordan was double-teamed but worked to get himself in a position to receive the inbound pass. Upon catching the ball, Jordan took two hard dribbles to his left, put his foot in the ground, and elevated for a jump shot from just behind the free-throw line. He floated in the air for what felt like five seconds as Ehlo floated past him. After a double pump, Jordan released a shot that rattled home as time expired. Jordan ran to the sideline, jumping in the air and pumping his fist over and over. The shot gave the Bulls a 101-100 victory over the Cavs and sent the Bulls into the next round of the playoffs.
Two things happened that day. One, an almost-six-year-old boy's dreams were crushed as his favorite team lost in heartbreaking fashion. So many emotions surged through me as I watched through tear-filled eyes my beloved Cavs walk off the court. And, two, I found myself completely intrigued with greatness and what it took to become great. Jordan in that single moment sparked an interest in me that I still have today. What makes the greats great? Why do some people achieve success where others fail? What sets the successful apart from the average?
As an athlete and sports fan I leaned heavily on studying what great athletes did differently than everyone else. Athletes like Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Tyson, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Johnson, and Jerry Rice became my idols of what is possible if you work hard enough. I was motivated to become the best possible athlete I could and to one day achieve the greatness that these iconic athletes did. More than thirty years later, I am still searching for a deeper and better understanding of what makes the greats great. It's a passion and a search that I don't think will ever end.
I have discovered similarities among all the greats I listed above, but I have also found similarities between the athletes I loved and coaches, leaders, musicians, inventors, and entrepreneurs. Greatness in sports isn’t any different from greatness in anything we pursue. The level of commitment to your craft, attention to detail, ability to ignore the critics, and an uncommon level of grit typically shows up in all of these people. It’s not that they were born different; they just worked differently. Given the tools all these men utilized, everyone can become great.
My hope is that by reading this book you will see that the journey to excellence isn’t smooth or easy. The true testament to the excellence of the people referenced in this book is the work they choose to put in—the daily work over years of their lives that eventually allowed them to achieve success. The other thing to remember as you chase your dreams and goals is that there are a lot of things that go into your future success. Don’t expect to achieve all your goals tomorrow. Greatness is a war of attrition, and you must stay true to your process through all of the adversity that shows up along the way. Never give up