"I'm the basketball version of a gravedigger."Dennis Rodman is my all-time favorite NBA player (yes, even over Michael Jordan).
Rodman inspired me. I began falling in love with his game during his run with the Bulls.
He played the game with a menacing beauty. He was hated by his opponents, but loved by his team. He was a winner, a champion, and became the most famous role player to ever play the game.
Rodman was a genius.
He made rebounding, diving into whatever for loose balls, tenacious defense, and irritating the other team with his tactics an art.
I guess I took to him because that was the type of player I was. Not everyone understands how you can get such fulfillment from having no stats in the line. Like Rodman, all I cared about was the most important stat, how many times my team scored more points than the other team.
But Rodman's inspired me the most because was he had the courage to be himself. Because of this, he made "HUSTLE FAMOUS."
Many fans did not see Rodman's obsession and dedication to his job. He was in better shape than most players. He worked hard in the off-season and during the season to build and maintain his strength and endurance. He studied game film on individual players watching how their ball came off the rim so he be in a better position to rebound.
I often say, "Defense and Rebounding is Attitude." Rodman perfected the skill of rebounding and had more attitude about it than any other player to ever play the game. He worked on his touch around the rim. He perfected tipping balls in from crazy angles, in-between, and over taller oppenents. He was quoted saying, "I want to do for rebounds what Michael Jordan did for dunks."
His game was revolutionary. An eccentric personality, the first guy to cover himself in tattoo's. The NBA front office loved and hated him all at the same time. He was different. His differences created critics. But his differences also made him one of the greatest players of all time.
People fear different. And different is often punished.
But in his difference was his greatness. Imagine if we all had the courage to accept who we are, deliver our unique greatness, accept others criticism, and do what our heart tells us we were created to do.
That is the moral of this Monday Morning Motivation. It's about questioning something you are probably struggling with right now. It's about how you will make your HUSTLE FAMOUS.
Most of us are poor versions of someone else.
Since birth, we have been influenced to conform. To accept the status quo, to be controlled by systems, society, religion, and government.
It is not you.
We are quick to discount who we are.
We make excuses for not pursuing our strengths, passions, and interests.
"I would love to do that but that is not going to support a family, give me a fulfilling career...blah blah blah."
"I'll only be accepted if I have a masters degree....blah blah blah."
"I couldn't make a career out of that...blah blah blah."
Instead we become well rounded.
Well rounded means you are extremely good at being mediocre.
Rodman made hustle famous not because he was NOT well-rounded. He made hustle famous because he made the not so popular stats in basketball, rebounding, hustle, and toughness an art.
If you are a student, get A's because you like to compete. Get A's because you understand good grades "may" get your foot in the door.
But while working on your GPA, find a subject to fall in love with. Pursue it early. The earlier you decide to be an individual the greater chance you have of making your hustle famous.
What do most of us do?
We make mental trade-offs.
We accept what we "think" we should do. This is our greatest mistake.
Go to school, get good grades, play sports, join a bunch of clubs, get accepted to college, get good grades, get involved in sports, groups, clubs, get a job, get married, have kids, retire, die.
Who made this up?
And why do we all seem to think this is the "path of life." All of these things are wonderful and beautiful parts of our existence, but the system seems to have snipers along the way who take us out. Our heart that is.
How much of our own greatness do we sacrifice in the process?
We end up attempting what is impossible.
Put a :) on. Fit in. Compare. Be like them. Do what you are "supposed" to do.
But then we realize something. We forget who we are. In panic, we do anything and everything to re-discover ourselves. We search frantically for inspiration. Something that can ignite a spark that may free our buried passions.
Where we look is sometimes positive, sometimes negative. Either way, we feel we have no choice but to search.
Funny thing is, we can exist and even perform well going through the motions.
Society has set up systems to make sure that we are safe, secure, and "successful" as a poser. It is called the American Dream.
We live, we exist, but we know something isn't right. But our mind feeds our heart the lie, "Don't worry Heart, it's the right thing to do."
And as each minute, hour, and day passes...it builds, it inevitably takes it's toll.
It becomes more difficult to wake up. Motivation declines or sometimes completely walks out on you.
Confidence follows. You can't line up your heart with your actions. You struggle with getting anything done. The end of the day feels like the beginning...insignificant.
You disinterest in life and work begins to affect how you make people feel. You no longer attract people to you. At least not the ones who make your life productive and significant.
Then people begin to lose interest in you...your reputation loses its attractiveness.
The root word of interesting is "interest." It is impossible to be interesting and enthusiastic unless you know and pursue what interests you.
Interested people have interesting energy.
Interested people have interesting confidence.
Interested people create interesting results
Interested people create interesting differences
Interested people create interesting lives
And why do we love interesting people?
Interesting people inspire us. They give us a glimpse that what we know is true is possible in us to. They give us courage. Courage to be ourselves.
Question...?
When will you, like the cross-dressing, make-up wearing, tattooed, nose-ring having, rebounding machine, the Worm, Dennis Rodman, make your HUSTLE FAMOUS?
DENNIS RODMAN HIGHLIGHTS
