I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot... and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that's precisely why I succeed. -- Michael Jordan
The other day I attended a lecture by Fred Mandell, co-author of a compelling book entitled Becoming a Life Change Artist. Fred had a high-level position at American Express when, at the age of 51, he quit his lucrative job and had the luxury to begin taking art classes at his local community college. To his surprise, Fred discovered he was pretty good at art, particularly sculpture, and eventually reached a point where he was having gallery showings and is now commissioned to create original pieces, something he couldn’t have imagined just 10 or even five years ago. Simple lesson here: it is never too late to change, to follow your true calling, and to achieve personal fulfillment.
Fred talked about another businessman like himself who was burned out by his successful career and decided to take a break. On a whim, this man, while cleaning out his attic, discovered the old Super 8 camera that had given him so much joy when he made amateur films as a much younger man. He decided to begin using the camera again. After he spent some time re-honing his craft, this “accidental filmmaker” was creating award-winning movies.
In the end, Fred told these stories to make a larger point. When it comes to making a life transition, he noted there are key strengths that creative people share, from DaVinci to Monet to Picasso. Among them: seeing the world and one’s life from new perspectives, embracing uncertainty, taking risks, collaborating, and applying discipline. We can all benefit from new directions and approaches, and while committing to change may be scary, it can also be extremely rewarding.
Which brings me to my son, Lucas. Though only 12 years old, he is extraordinarily disciplined when it comes to his all-time favorite pastime: Basketball. Lucas goes to the basketball courts near our home almost every day. During the winter, he was shooting when there were three or four inches of snow on the ground. Now with warmer weather, he’s at the courts every day after school; on weekends, he may be there for eight, even ten hours. Shooting and shooting and shooting. He loves the pure, immediate gratification of making a three-point basket, an experience he hasn’t felt from any other activity. The dedication and hard work is paying off; I can see him improving from even a month ago. He has become a fountain of basketball knowledge, too, always full of trivia about players, their height, origins, attitudes. Though not a particularly tall boy, he harbors dreams of getting to the NBA and roots especially hard for the players under six feet tall (especially JJ Barea of the recent championship Dallas Mavericks). I’m not saying he’ll get there, but he’s working intently on being the best he can be.
It comes down to passion and commitment. Do you have what it takes to reach the next level, to get what you really want? I’ll be happy to work with you to make it happen.
Have a rewarding, productive week.
Peace,
Marc
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