As I looked out at the faces staring at me that night I remember making a statement that looking back on it now must of seemed pretty bold, maybe even for those who didn’t know me kind of egotistical. I said to the over one hundred people in the crowd that in the near future they would see me on TV. coaching division 1 basketball. Not only did I say it, I meant every word.
I was speaking at the covenant house in Newark last Christmas when I gave this bold proclamation. I briefly discussed the covenant house in an earlier blog; it’s a non profit organization that houses homeless teens. They asked me if I could talk about my history and how I arrived at the point in my life where I am now. I did discuss my background and how I was raised, but I felt that it was even more important to talk to the people in the audience about not where I was but where I am going.
I didn’t want them to think that I was content with where I am. I wanted everyone to know that not only am I still dreaming but I’m dreaming big, and nothing is going to stop me from making my dreams become a reality.
If you want to know why your dreams aren’t becoming realities ask yourself some honest questions. Do I believe in my dream? Am I putting the work in to make it happen? Am I letting other people sway me from accomplishing it? Am I willing to make sacrifices for my dream to become a reality?
“Make your dreams your own”
Out of all the obstacles that can come in your path one of the biggest ones is other people telling you that maybe you’re dreaming to big. They start to rattle off all the reasons why you won’t make it, instead of telling you the reasons why you will. And what happens? You start to believe that maybe you shouldn’t pursue being a lawyer, because a “friend” told you that they knew a bunch of people way smarter than you that never passed the Bar exam. Why would you go to Los Angles to pursue acting? Do you know how many people come back home broke and unemployed within a years time? Most people let these voices take the wind out of their sails before they even get a chance to put their boat in the water.
I have had actual division 1 assistant basketball coaches tell me that I shouldn’t get into the profession. They complained about the long hours and all the work they do, the whole time they were speaking I was laughing on the inside. Because I know for a fact there’s no way any of these guys are ever going to outwork me when I get to that level. The difference is they like what they do, and I love what I do. Someone that loves what their doing never looks at work as work. It’s something they would do for free.
We allow other peoples words to make us question ourselves. You can’t put a cap on your dreams. There are millions of people that play it safe when it comes to dreaming. Wanting to make the varsity team at your high school is fine but why wouldn’t you want to start for it? Never think there’s something in this world you can’t accomplish, because someone does the “impossible” every day. Why can’t it be you? Impossible in my mind is just something that hasn’t been tried yet.
That’s why I titled this blog high jump. You’re the only one that should be setting the bar. My senior year in high school I tried out for track. I wanted to stay in shape for basketball and one of the events I did was the high jump. I had zero technique I would just run and jump over the bar. At some point I got decent at it and started winning most of our meets. I guess I started getting a little cocky as the season progressed. For the high jump you can come in at any height you want. Most people would come in at 5 feet and work their way up. I decided this one meet to come in at 5ft6. As I worked my way up to 5ft 10 I realized that I had already beat everyone in the event so far. Then from a distance I saw someone running to the high jump pit. He kept his warm up jacket on and leaped over 5ft10 (which was my personal best) like it was 3ft10. He ended up jumping well over 6ft 4 inches and won the event easily. Lesson learned. No matter where the bar is it can always be raised.
Your personal bar is what you set it at. If it’s too low than maybe you should think about coming in at a different height.
I remember when you were doing high jump. You were kicking everyone´s butt. The nice thing is that you always know what direction you are going. You never allow yourself to be sidetracked. That is such a good quality. You know, sometimes when I think about you, I think about the college that also shares your name. I think about how vigorous the entrance exams are and how it continues to accept no less than 100 percent from its students. Then I think to myself “yeah. he really has the right name.” Keep up the good work. Love you always. Sissy.