This week, I come with encouragement as we continue working on our goals to make us the best version of ourselves.
Recently, I was talking with a friend about her goals. She was very determined going into the year of all the possibilities that 2023 would bring. Then, January hit - and with it a respiratory virus that just didn't want to let go. It held on for almost the entire month.
Even though some of her goals had to be sidelined while she recovered, she continued her mental exercises reminding herself of her strength and all that she will accomplish. I asked her how she managed to keep mental focus when her body, primarily her lungs, seemed to be holding her back.
"In 2023, I'm going to think like #23!" She was so enthusiastic. And I'm embarrassed to admit that I had no idea what she was talking about. "Michael Jordan! He was (and is) number 23." Well, duh! 23 is a great source of motivation. He can do anything.
What we saw from Michael Jordan is the winning, and we continue to see his success. What we don't see is him lifting weights early every morning, practicing hard every day, pushing himself, finding new ways to motivate himself. Being the best was hard work and demanded determination. He's quoted as saying, "You have to be uncompromised in your level of commitment to whatever you are doing, or it can disappear as fast as it appeared." He never gave up, and neither should we.
His lack of compromise is evident in everything he did and does. To him, excellence isn't a one-week or one-year thing. It's a constant, upon which you cannot settle.
So as I continue my journey into 2023, I think I too will try to be a little more like Mike.
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