Do What Is Right For You: A LeBron James Lesson

LeBron James continuous to take a tremendous amount of heat for leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to play for Miami. After he left the Cavaliers, they too have taken tremendous beatings as well, from opposing teams.  And James has nearly single-handedly turned the Heat into a serious title contender.  Before he joined the team, the players badly needed help to get back to the championship level.

Still James has been called by sportscasters and writers "the most hated athlete in American sports."  Why?  When he left the Cavaliers many felt he betrayed the team for spoils, and that he is a "sell-out."
“Fans are passionate,” James said. “They believe that you should live your life and your career through them, and when you don’t do that, they automatically turn. I know that personally.”

I am not going to pass judgement on whether LeBron should have stayed with the Cavaliers.  However, I do want to say this.  You cannot make life decisions based on what others want you to do.  Could you honestly say you would stay on a job and pass up a more lucrative career because others felt you should? 

Life is too short to live for others, even fans.  And, if you are a basketball player, you know that life on the court is one of the shortest careers you could possibly have.

So whether you believe that James should have stayed, or gone on to Miami like he did, remember in your own life, live for what you feel is best for you, not others.

Trevor Hoffman-" I Gave 100 Percent"

Pitcher Trevor Hoffman, baseball's all-time saves leader, has decided to retire at age 43.  

Hoffman told the Associated Press, "What I'll take away from it (playing baseball) is I have no regrets. I went at the game 100% and didn't leave myself with any questions.  I got the most our of what I was given."

Can you say that for your life?  Have you been living your full potential?  If you haven't, start now.  Start today.  

Giving your full potential is living life fully.  This goes for giving yourself fully to your loved ones, as well as your job or career. 

Many of us lose the very ones we love because we have not fully been present for the significant other in our life. How many people find themselves divorced because they weren't aware that their spouse was unhappy? 

Or, maybe you wonder why you have been passed over for a promotion.  Often because we don't like a job, we give only half of ourselves.  Beware, others are watching and hearing that you are not doing your best, even our friends.

So, when you network to get a better job, your friends and co-workers who may know of a great opportunity for you, won't tell you, or recommend you.  They are not putting themselves on the line for you because they know you have been "half-stepping."

Give fully to whatever task is before you, and don't forget.  That applies to your loved ones too.

See Hoffman's retirement announcement:

Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll on Visualizing to Win

I had a chance to meet Coach Pete Carroll in his office at USC right after my son graduated there and Carroll was still coaching the Trojans.  I was so impressed how he was warm and open to strangers.  He focuses on you, and makes you feel good about yourself.  This is also attributed to his style of coaching.  They say he builds players up, rather than tear them down when they make mistakes.

It's no wonder that he has eased into coaching the Seahawks, because he makes players want to be the best you can possibly be.

Carroll could have rested on his laurels as being the highest paid university coach in the nation, but he chose to advance himself.  

ESPN reporter Shelly Smith says this about Carroll Coaching the Trojans in Los Angeles, "Carroll and his staff and the players were rock stars, A-listers even among the usual A-listers. The environment was contagious and hyper-charged."

But, even though Carroll who was at the top of his game at USC , he left for a bigger challenge to return to the NFL. Some say it's because he saw the controversy of Reggie Bush coming down the pike, but I choose to believe that he is following his philosophy to keep challenging himself and to be the best that you can be.

Against naysayers who say Carroll can't have the success in NFL like college, and that he is to "nice" for the NFL, he is proving them wrong, leading the Seahawks to victories.

One of his coaching techniques, is Carroll believes in visualization, one of the keys to win not only on the field, but in life. This is a key component in our lives no matter who we are.

Charles Haanel, author of the Master Key System (1912) which inspired the book, "The Secret" said this:

"If you desire to visualize a different environment, the process is simply to hold the ideal in mind, until your vision has been made real; give no thought to persons, places or things; these have no place in the absolute; the environment you desire will contain everything necessary; the right persons, and the right things will come at the right time and in the right place."

You can click on my pages tab on the top left to read an entire Visualization chapter in my book "Sporting the Right Attitude."

Here is Pete on winning and visualizing big:

ATTITUDE IS IMPORTANT

I was moved by a quote I read earlier in the week about Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano.


Running back Ricky Williams said, "Tony spends a lot of time saying, 'If you do these things, you'll win.'  I feel that he does a little too much.  My personal opinion is, if you have the right attitude that you guys are going to win, then all the other stuff takes care of itself."


Wow Ricky!  How right you are.  This is the major reason that assures a person that nothing is impossible no matter the circumstances.  A positive attitude allows one to perceive the possibilities rather than difficulties.