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MESSAGE #988 A PEAK PERFORMANCE POEM

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There are two types of teammates in the world: builder-uppers and breaker-downers.

The builder-uppers are the Derek Jeters who make the rest of their team better. Michael Jordan was the same way.

The breaker-downers focus on themselves and may even put their teammates down to make themselves look better. One bad apple ruins the bunch.

This applies to sports, work, school and relationships.

Here is my favorite poem to bring the point home…

One day as I was walking around my home town,
I saw a group of men tearing a building down.

With a heave and a ho and a mighty yell,
they swung a huge steel ball and a tall building fell.

Impressed, I asked the foreman, “Are these men skilled?
Should I hire them if I ever want to build?”

“Oh no,” he laughed. “Oh no, indeed!
They’re unskilled laborers–that’s all I need.”

“These men can easily wreck in a day or two,
what it takes skilled builders many years to do.”

So I asked myself as I walked away,
which one of these roles do I want to play?

Do I want to be known as one who constantly tears down?
De-energizing others as I spread negativity around?

Or do I want to be known as one who skillfully builds up with care,
enthusiastically encouraging everyone whenever I’m there?

Which type of person will you be today?

MESSAGE #984 BOUNCE BACK

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to Lance Lee in Philadelphia, Lou Nespoli in Colts Neck, NJ, Makenzie Devine in Washington Township, NJ, Megan Brett in New York City, Rachel Mech in Washington, D.C., and Tommy Haas in Bradenton, Florida. Happy Birthday to you all!

 

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, then became the greatest basketball player ever.

Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times before perfecting the light bulb, then became the brightest mind of the past century.

Did Michael Jordan give up? NO.

Did Thomas Edison give up? NO.

Did Elmer McAllister give up?

You don’t know who Elmer McAllister is?!?

Of course you don’t, because he GAVE UP!

Never, never, never give up. -WINSTON CHURCHILL

MESSAGE #845 JORDAN VS TSENG…

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JORDAN: Focus on the little things.
TSENG: Focus on your weaknesses, as well as your strengths.

JORDAN: Don’t think about the prize; think about the work.
TSENG: Focus on the process, not the product.

JORDAN: Use tough losses for motivation.
TSENG: You either win or you learn.

JORDAN: Nervousness is not a bad thing.
TSENG: If you’re not nervous, you’re not ready.

JORDAN: Prepare, practice and perfect it.
TSENG: Practice perfect.

JORDAN: Stick to the things you are capable of doing.
TSENG: Focus on the things you can control.

JORDAN: I was nervous when I first played golf with Tiger Woods.
TSENG: I was nervous when I first played tennis with Martina Navratilova.

JORDAN: You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.
TSENG: The great ones act like winners before they actually become winners.

Michael Jordan won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls, two Olympic basketball gold medals and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in September. He is one of the greatest athletes in history.

Ed Tseng is a blogger.

MESSAGE #830 THE GREAT ONE…AIR JORDAN

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“The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.”
-PAUL VALERY

When I was younger, I idolized Michael Jordan. I remember watching him fly through the air in the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest, with my mouth wide open. And I didn’t even like basketball.

Is Jordan the greatest ever?

Probably.

Anyone can tell you that Jordan has the highest scoring average (30.6) in the regular season and post-season, in NBA history.

He was the leading scorer 10 times, also a record.

He won 6 Championships with the Bulls, and was named Finals MVP…6 times.

There’s no question that Jordan’s physical abilities were out-of-this-world, and even though that is what initially drew me to him, that’s not why I am one of his biggest fans.

I’m a Jordan fan because…

He had fun playing basketball.

He had a will to win.

He got cut from his high school basketball team, but instead of giving up, he worked harder.

He goes all out, physically and mentally.

Money means nothing to him…”I just love playing.”

He divided his $12,500 prize for winning the 1987 Slam Dunk Contest among his teammates.

He played every game like it was his last.

He came out of retirement 2 weeks after 9/11 and donated his entire season’s salary (approx. $1 million) to the post-9/11 cause.

Greatness isn’t just about physical talent and results.

It’s okay to want to be the best in the world, as long as you also want to be the best for the world.

Be like Mike today…

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #705 A LESSON FROM MICHAEL JORDAN…

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“We didn’t approach it as ‘Let’s be 13-1 in December.’ We approached it as ‘Let’s get this game…Let’s get this game…Let’s get this game.’ The next thing you know, we were 13-1.”
-MICHAEL JORDAN

Do you have a big project or big goal?

Do you sometimes feel that you cannot see the finish line?

You need to approach life in the same way that you eat an elephant…one bite at a time.

Michael Jordan takes one game at a time.

Break up your projects into smaller, more manageable tasks.

Create a schedule for practices and match play to reach your tennis goals.

Do a little bit every day.

I am currently working on creating new habits for my business and personal life. I have been getting up at 6:05AM every morning to take care of things. I have basically added two hours to every day. Do I really feel like getting up at 6AM every day? No, but once I “just do it” I’m glad I did. Those little things add up.

Take one day at a time.

You are like a wire – at first your actions create a thin wire, but as you do the right things, day after day, and develop good habits, that wire wraps around and gets stronger and stronger. And before you know it it’s a thick cable! And nothing can stop it.

Homework: Make the most of today, then repeat tomorrow…and the next day….and the next day….

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #532 BE LIKE MIKE…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Michael Jordan.

We all know that Michael Jordan was cut from his basketball team in the 10th grade. He then went home and cried for the rest of the night. Many people would have given up and tried a different sport, but Michael went to work. The next school year, Michael arrived at school every morning at 6am to worked out with the coach.

Size-wise, many people had the same physical build as Jordan, some more so. So how then did Michael Jordan become MICHAEL JORDAN?

He certainly worked hard. VERY hard. But Jordan also had something inside. DESIRE. He says he was “hungry.” He also had the mindset of a champion BEFORE he became the Michael Jordan that we all know.

Jordan once said that if he ever woke up and thought that he couldn’t get any better than the day before, he would give up basketball. He had a growth mindset.

He was never satisfied. He never said, “I’ve made it.” In his eyes, he never got to the top of the mountain, he was always climbing.

I try to be like Mike. I try to get better every day in all areas of my life. It’s a process, and I’m enjoying the process. Someone once said that there are no limits, just plateaus and we need to continue to go higher and higher.

I agree.

Homework: Be like Mike…today.


Thanks for reading.