Have you ever heard the saying hindsight is 20/20? For most of us, when we look back on our lives we will often reflect on times where we wished we would have handled things differently or taken heed to advice from those around us.
Living close to Houston, I am a bandwagon Houston Rockets fan. There is something special about going to a live game that taps into all your senses. Vibrant colors, thundering music, the smell of popcorn, and of course the comradery of countless cheering fans rallying their team to victory. And did I mention the popcorn? Seriously, there is such a rhythm to the game, watching the players working together with such physicality and intensity, it’s hard not to be drawn in. A true experience, and when your team wins, the energy is like no other.
As a fan, I was disappointed to hear one of the players so outwardly express their desire to leave the team and city. I was surprised to hear this same player in an interview expressing almost defeatedly that he has “done all he can do”. A bold statement to make.
The more calendars I retire, the more my stance on this has evolved. For me personally, I’ve come to believe that if I’ve done ‘everything I can do’ and still the team comes up short, I need to first take inventory of myself to truly be accountable. Perhaps I have done all I know to do, which simply means if I desire a different result, then I must be the one to learn, grow, and change the way I think, act and lead.
It can be empowering to know there is always opportunity to have a greater impact and influence over outcomes. I can improve, become better, do more, add greater value and support the team to greater heights.
I believe there is wise advice for each of us in this video Shaq Reacts To The Trade of Player | “When You Say You Gave The City Your All, That Ain’t True”.
Below is an excerpt from The Daily Coach which sums up the video perfectly.
“Legendary player Shaquille O’Neal explains why he feels he can criticize a former Houston Rockets star. In essence, Shaq is discussing accountability and believes the player made the same mistakes and excuses he once did during his long career.
Shaq used to believe it was never his fault. It was always that of the people around him, their failures, their inability to deliver in the clutch. Finally, his father set him straight — giving him the truth, convincing him to look inward, to not blame others, to be accountable to yourself first. When Shaq initially received this message, he was in denial, but he later came to understand and appreciate his father’s heartfelt wisdom.
In his first interview with his new team, the Brooklyn Nets, the player called himself “an elite player, an elite teammate and an elite leader.” There is no doubt about the former, but whether he’s an elite teammate or leader is up for debate. With his current mentality, the advice that Shaq shared will fall on deaf ears. The player already believes he has competed at the highest level even though his teams have never won a championship.
In his mind, the numbers are all that matter. Bill Russell, the Hall-of-Fame former Boston Celtics player and coach, once said, “Professional players are not paid to play, they are paid to win.” If you play well and your team loses, does that make anyone feel happy or content, though? It shouldn’t.
With age comes wisdom, and if we reflect on Russell’s words, perhaps we will stop being so enamored with ourselves and do more self-reflection. When we look back on our lives, we often wish we would have behaved differently, that we had heard, and more importantly, listened to advice from people with experience. When someone offers to help and cares enough to speak the truth, then we should care enough to hear those words and not wait until we’re older to finally say, “Yeah, I should have listened.”
Nevertheless, here we are today. I hope this player does find what they are looking for and it brings them fulfillment and success. And for those of us fellow Rockets fans, I can assure you; we will be just fine and perhaps all a little wiser for Shaq’s sage advice.
I hope this message provided you some measure of insight that adds value to you in your own personal and professional journey.
Seize today and know that YOU do make a difference, make it remarkable!
Excerpts from: https://thedailycoach.substack.com/p/video-shaqs-advice-to-james-harden
