W
inning is only an excuse to play the game, so we must learn to appreciate the daily practice - even when it’s a gruelling workout. Remember, happiness is not in the destination, it’s the journey. Having said this, let me say a few words about motivation.
I was asked to speak to a group of fathers and sons about setting goals. We were in an auditorium with no basketball standards around, so it was a perfect place to show the guys how important goals are.
One of the boys in the audience had a basketball with him so I had him come forward with it. I told him to dribble a few times and to shoot a basket. The boy followed my instructions, shaking his head. He shot.
“Did you make it?” I asked.
“No,” he said grumpily. ‘There aren’t any baskets. There isn’t anything to shoot for!”
With that simple answer I had made the point I wanted to make. Nobody would want to play basketball without any hoops to shoot for. There would be no point to it, no way to keep score. And everybody wants to know if they have won or lost.
Life is the same way. You need goals if you want to score and feel good about life. Targets show us where we’ve been and where we still have to go. It’s always comforting to see the finish line so we know how far we have to run.
Remember, if you go through life without ambitions, you’ll never make the grade. There is only one way to really play the game - whether it’s basketball or the game of life.
Aim for something and shoot to score!