5 Basketball Sayings Brought to Life:
I have been blessed to learn from so many great coaches over the years. Here are 5 of my favorites sayings and how I try to apply them to my life.
1. “You’re never as good as you think you are when you win, and you’re never as bad as you think you are when you lose.”
In basketball – Don’t be arrogant after a win or get too down after a loss. Everything is a learning experience and a stepping stone for growth.
In Life – Regardless of the situation, there is always what to learn and space to grow. I acknowledge where I am and then figure out what I can do to improve.
2. “The screener is always open.”
In Basketball – When you set a screen for another player to get open for a shot or a pass, the reality is that the screener actually ends up being open, despite sacrificing him or herself for another player.
In Life – If I “sacrifice” my time, contacts, resources, or energy for another person will I end up losing out? What I have learned is that the one who makes the sacrifice (the screener) is always open – or in other words, becomes a receptacle for more blessings and abundance.
3. “Never go two days in a row without shooting.”
In Basketball – This represents staying sharp with your workout routine. On the one hand, not getting rusty and out of shape or slowly sliding into bad habits. On the other hand, getting in all your reps so you feel confident.
In Life – To me this means having a consistent schedule that allows me to make order, prioritize, and feel good so that I can tackle the day, rather than allowing the day to tackle me.
4. “Your body language lets me know if you are ready to play.”
In Basketball – This refers to having your game face on. You are focused, attentive, your body is warmed up and you are sending a confident message to the coach that you’re ready to play.
In Life – I recognize that giving off good energy, being neat and presentable, taking care of and feeling good on the inside and outside, smiling, good posture, thinking positive thoughts and making eye contact all shape my reality, and I act accordingly. By putting myself in the best situation to succeed, I am placing myself on a path of productivity, positivity and, ultimately, success.
5. “The possession isn’t over until you get the rebound.”
In Basketball – If your team plays great defense but fails to get the rebound then you didn’t finish the job.
In Life – Since life can get very overwhelmingly quickly, I have found that closing off as many loose ends as possible is a key to success. If getting started seems too overwhelming, I pick one project, to do item, or issue and finish it off 100% and file it as done. I use the positive momentum from that “win” to move onto the next item on my list and bang that out too.
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