Pursuit of Excellence

Items in italics are direct quotes from the articles below

https://www.entrepreneur.com/slideshow/308941

One of the most famous basketball players of all time, Michael Jordan, is recognized for his achievements both on and off the court. As an athlete, Jordan — also known as “Air Jordan” thanks to his slam dunking capabilities — played on both the Chicago Bulls and the Washington Wizards where he was recognized with a number of awards and titles including an Olympic gold medal, six-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, 14 NBA All Star Game appearances and 1988 Defensive Player of the Year, to name a few. In 2016, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama. According to the NBA website, Jordan is “the greatest basketball player of all time.” From product endorsements to even a short stint in acting with his movie Space Jam, Jordan is the highest-paid athlete of all-time and the third richest African American today. Of course, Jordan’s career wasn’t always smooth sailing. With a brief basketball retirement and a short career in baseball, it took trial and error until Jordan realized his true calling was always basketball. There’s much more to learn from the decorated basketball all-star.

I’ve included two quotes:

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

“I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”

I think Jordan was one of the greatest of all time. He simply would will himself into any situation. He was one of the reasons that I played basketball. I remember watching his final championship game that he won against the Utah Jazz. Even sick with the flu he played that series, and the game winning shot was the highlight of his career. Don’t ever let failure stop you, because when you do then you’ve failed. Always remember to let the hope within you rise and give you the courage and strength to stand and fight again.

http://ideapod.com/buddhist-master-21-rules-blow-mind

Ever heard of Miyamoto Mushashi? If not, he was an expert Japanese swordsman, Buddhist and ronin. He became renowned through stories of incredible swordsmanship, wise sayings and a highly influential book called The Book of Five Rings, which detailed his philosophy on life and how to get the most out of it. His philosophical principles are largely influenced by Buddhist philosophy and he’s said to have mastered the art of detachment, letting go and discipline. In his book, he also revealed his 21 rules of life. Below I thought I’d share them because not only are they insightful, but it explains the Zen Buddhist way of life so brilliantly.

Here are four quotes:

Accept everything just the way it is.

Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.

Do not fear death.

You may abandon your own body, but you must preserve your honour.

Although I agree with Musashi’s quotes, I don’t hold onto his wisdom in all situations. I find that the Book of Proverbs is a good source of wisdom. Even then I seek the inner wisdom that has been given and is given to me. To your own self be true guided by truth and grace. Life is a constant battlefield and it’s made up of work, but we work to live life and not live to work. Have a plan for your future that will impact eternity and legacy.

If you need a financial check-up or prayer be sure to contact me.

This week, I’ve included MONK MENTALITY – Jay Shetty – One Of The Best Speeches EVER | MOST INSPIRING! from the Mulligan Brothers YouTube channel.

“If you think you know it all, you’re a fool for sure; real survivors learn wisdom from others.”

Proverbs 28:26 MSG