Be prepared in season and out of season. 2 Timothy 4:2
Ever since I was a little boy, I had a dream of playing basketball for the Florida State Seminoles. I was fortunate to realize that dream when I signed a basketball scholarship with the Seminoles in 1989. In high school, I signed early with the Mercer Bears and transferred to FSU after my freshmen year. Since I transferred, I had to sit out for a year before playing as a sophomore.
My first opportunity to make a significant contribution came against the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Leon County Civic Center. Jacksonville, featuring their star guard Dee Brown who would later sign with the Boston Celtics and win the NBA dunk contest, was beating us by eight points with two minutes left in the game. Coach Kennedy put me in the game hoping I would make some 3-point shots, and prevent us from experiencing what appeared to be a certain defeat.
Making the most of my opportunity, I scored the only points that would be registered in the last two minutes. It just happened to be eight points, and my offensive contribution put us into overtime. We ended up winning the game by one point in overtime.
After the game, my locker was crowded with reporters. One of them asked me if I was surprised by my performance. Emphasizing that I was not trying to be prideful or arrogant, I answered the reporter with an emphatic no. Then, I told them that I had been preparing for this moment since I was a little boy, and that I had shot those 3-pointers thousands of times before this game. I was prepared to make the most of my opportunity.
Have you ever felt unprepared for an event or opportunity?
What happens when you don’t prepare? Things you hoped won’t happen do happen—and they occur with greater frequency than the things you hoped would happen. The reason is simple: being unprepared sets you up for failure. Ask negotiators what happens at the bargaining table when they are not prepared. Ask athletes what happens on the field of competition when they are unprepared. Preparation is often the separation between winning and losing.
Remember, spectacular achievement comes from unspectacular preparation.
1 comment:
This really resonated with me. It's great encouragement for those moments when you start to doubt that you are on the right track. Sometimes just toughing it out and doing the daily unspectacular things makes all the difference in the end. It's a lesson in being faithful.
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