There is an invisible, impenetrable ceiling that we can place on ourselves.

It’s our own expectations.

The level of effort we will put in today will be relative to what we believe we can accomplish. If we don’t believe we can lose the weight, we won’t put in the work to lose the weight. If we don’t believe we can get the job, we won’t put in the research and studying to get the job. We can’t summon the effort for something we don’t believe is possible.

Yet, starting with the right mindset is only the first part of the puzzle, and often the easiest part. It’s maintaining the belief, during the guaranteed adversity. This is where most fall – we succumb to the failures and missteps… and we change our expectations. We change our goals, to something more “attainable”. We settle.

That’s when we can remind ourselves that this quote came from a man who was cut from his High School basketball team. He had every reason to change his expectations. Every reason to aim lower, or in a different direction. And that would have been that. Yet – we know the rest of story.