It's not about what you are born with; it's about what you do.

​When I went to wake up my son this morning, I found him tightly hugging his basketball. Yesterday, he received the exciting news that he had made it onto the local basketball team. The sight immediately brought to mind a quote by Seth Godin that I have on one of my business cards: "Being tall helps you become a star in basketball, but how many of us have a shot at playing in the NBA? It's not about what you are born with; it's about what you do."

With only two weeks until his 9th birthday, my son continues to dream big and approach life with limitless passion and potential. He understands that the "NBA tall" gene will not suddenly manifest itself in his DNA, but that doesn't dampen his enthusiasm for playing, learning, having fun, and nurturing his dreams. 
I am truly inspired by how he guarded his basketball and slept with it last night. I don't find it childish at all, and it brings to mind the image of a young Michael Jordan doing the same. It reminds me of Arnold Schwarzenegger sharing in an interview that as a child, he would spend hours in bed gazing at posters of Mr. Universe, visualizing and dreaming of reaching that level.

The inspiration from my son's dedication carried over into my morning run today. I ran to the best of today's ability, embracing the effort and feeling a true sense of pride for simply applying myself, without needing external validation of time, pace, or comparison to others. Such a small shift in perspective made a massive difference in the joy I got out. 

---