I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career, lost almost 300 games, missed the game-winning shot 26 times. I’ve failed over and over again in my life. That is why I succeed.” Michael Jordan, professional basketball player

How often do we hold ourselves back from taking a shot in life at a basket, goal, or opportunity to connect? Michael Jordan missed over 9,000 shots- wow! But how many did he make? Could he have made as many baskets if he hadn’t attempted all the rest of the shots? In the book “Outliers”, Malcolm Gladwell describes that the path towards success is thousands of hours of hard work. Michael Jordan epitomizes hard work. 9,000 missed shots translates to thousands of hours of hard work to making countless winning baskets.

What holds you back from making the basket? Lack of desire for success? Probably not. Fear of success? Probably not.

I would venture to guess that what is underneath lack of success is the lack of real drive, hard work and simply put- sweat equity. Success in whatever way you define it only comes from hard work. Hard work equals thousands of hours of shooting baskets. Success comes from thousands of missed baskets. Thousands of missed baskets doesn’t come from just trying lots of ideas but from working hard over and over and over again.

This month, may we all find one thing in our life to work even harder at and notice how it feels for you to put 110% sweat equity into something — art, work, relationship, etc.

Blessings, Deb