I consider myself a fan of NBA basketball. But I have to admit, I only start watching basketball when the playoffs begin – and that only if the Dallas Mavericks make it into the playoffs. I do however really enjoy watching the NBA finals….even if the Mavericks aren’t playing :-).
Recently everyone’s been talking about the latest “it” person in the NBA…Stephen Curry. This 28 year old husband, and father of 2 who has been outspoken about his faith in God….is a 2 time NBA MVP, lead his team to win the NBA finals in 2015, and is currently playing in the NBA finals this year and might lead his team to another Championship win.
I recently saw a short 3 minute video clip that was talking about Stephen Curry’s success and it highlighted something that most people don’t realize about his success. The clip talks about Stephen’s work ethic and incredible drive to continue to hone his skills and his craft, even at times when he didn’t have to. If you’ve ever watched him play, he’s clearly a player that has been gifted with talent to play the game…but the video is quick to point out that his success is not an accident.
The narrator of the video, Alan Stein first saw Stephen Curry at a basketball camp years ago. Stein described how “Curry would run through his own set of dribbling and shooting drills 30 minutes before the program’s scheduled workouts. While all of the other campers sat around in flip-flops and their headphones, Curry drained between 100 and 150 shots and was in a full sweat by the time everyone hit the floor.”
“He was meticulous with everything he did — perfect footwork, perfect shooting form. And he didn’t need a coach to tell him; he just did it,” Stein said.
“That’s the level of excellence he holds himself to,” Stein said. “The moral of that story is that success is not an accident. Success is a choice. Steph Curry is one of the best shooters on the planet because he has made the choice to create good habits. Are the habits that you have today on par with the dreams that you have for tomorrow? That’s something you need to ask yourself every single day. Whatever you do on a regular basis today will determine where you will be tomorrow.”
Hearing this got me thinking to the dreams and goals that God has put in my heart. Am I doing the hard work that I need to do to be the successful in the area that I know God has called me to? For me I know it’s easy to look at someone else and think that they have more skills, resources, talents, etc. than what I have, so it’s easier for them to be successful. But the truth is, God has given me what I need to be successful in my dreams and goals….but a big part of that also depends on the part that God is expecting me to play….am I being diligent to do the daily, mundane tasks that are not fun, and not easy, to get me to my goal? I pray that you too will be inspired like I was to realize that success is not an accident, but it is a choice…and what I do today will determine where I will be tomorrow. ~ Vijoy
