Nothing of value comes without being earned...

"What appeared to be hard work to others was simply playing for me. We were playing a game.  Why not play as hard as you can?  There's no pressure in taking that approach.  Play to win. Why else would you play?" -Michael Jordan

An excerpt written by Michael Jordan from his book Driven From Within….

When my play started providing me with rewards, then I wanted to prove I deserved them.  I never felt the desire to rest on what I had accomplished.  I never felt like I deserved to rest on what I had accomplished.  I never felt like I deserved to drive a Bentley when I got my first contract, or live in a mansion.  Those things might be symbols of success to some people, but there are a lot of people who confuse symbols with actual success.  

What’s left after you get all the money and buy the best car?  There’s nowhere to go from there.

When we won one championship, then I wanted to win two in a row. When we won two, then I wanted to win three in a row because Larry and Magic never won three straight.

Nothing of value comes without being earned.

That’s why great leaders are those who lead by example first, you can’t demand respect because of a title or position and expect people to follow.  That might work for a little while, but in the long run people respond to what they see.  They might even listen, but they usually will act based on the actions of the person talking.  If the CEO skips out early on Fridays, then he or she has sent a message that tells everyone else they can do the same.  I practiced hard every day because I wanted every one of my teammates to know what I expected out of myself.  If I took a day off, then I knew they would, too. 

Just like my high school coach, Clifton “Pop”, Hering, used to say:  “It’s hard, but it’s fair.”

I LIVE BY THOSE WORDS.