Many hours, days, months and years have been poured into perfecting the crafts for which we admire them.
If we had a behind the scenes ‘full access‘ pass, the sight we would see isn’t all that glamorous.
There is sweat,
There is pain,
There is ice for that pain,
There are tears.
There is practice,
There is repetition,
There is practice.
Lots and lots of practice!
…and among those who are willing to participate in the rigorous challenge of being really good at what they do, the people we still choose to admire and follow as a fan are typically defined as the great.
What separates the ‘Great’ from the really good?
My opinion; The ‘Great’ leave it all on the floor/field!
Now some of you may not know what the term, “Leave it all on the floor!” means.
‘Leave it all on the floor/field’ is sport’s terminology for playing hard, until you have nothing left.
Michael Jordan is a great example of what ‘leaving it all on the floor’ means.
During his reign as a basketball superstar, I never heard a sportscaster complain once about Jordan having a lack luster game due to a lack of effort.
Michael Jordan played hard every game of his career.
Now here’s the thing…
‘Leaving it all on the floor’ isn’t easy!
It takes vulnerability, confidence and courage.
It takes courage to take the last shot of the game,
It takes courage to throw the last pass,
It takes courage to catch the last pass,
It takes courage to run the ball on the last play,
It takes courage to kick the last goal.
Because…
If you miss that shot
If you under throw that pass,
If you drop that ball,
If you fumble,
If you miss the goal…
All the critics surface and the opinions begin to fly.
But if you hit that shot,
Complete that pass,
Catch that ball,
Hold on, and run the last play to completion,
and hit the goal.
Ahhhhh…that is the beginning of greatness!
We admire that!
I saw an example of this type of greatness, live this weekend.
John Legend performed in Jamaica at the Jazz and Blues Festival.
Mr. Legend is a man with a natural gift of music. He CAN sing!
Now we all know that the ability to sing doesn’t make someone a great performer.
Why?
Because a great performer ‘leaves it all on the floor’. They do not concern themselves with being pretty.
Saturday night, at this concert I was close enough to see the sweat dripping from John Legend’s face while spit dropped from his microphone, and he hammered the keys of his piano to create the tune to which he crooned.
He was MAGNIFICENT!
He wasn’t pretty.
Yet he was GREAT!
But…
What if he was too afraid, not to be pretty?
What if he didn’t want to sweat in front of people?
What if he concerned himself with thoughts like, “What would people think if they saw my saliva drip from my microphone?”.
Lucky for us, he didn’t care.
He had one goal and that was to leave it all on the concert floor.
…and because of that, he produced a product of sheer beauty.
The sound of his voice and his music blinded us all. In those moments, we didn’t see the sweat and spit. We heard only the music.
That is why we are fans.
That is why we follow.
So my question for us all this week is; Are you leaving it all on the floor?
Many of us will never fill a stadium full of followers and fans, but what impact are you making where you are, where you can?
At work; are you a superstar?
You could be.
Is your name synonymous with great work?
It could be.
Maybe your fan base is in your community. There maybe some kids out there, who to them, you are a superstar.
Are you leaving it on the floor for them?
At home, with your family, can they call you great?
Great not just from the unconditional love you all share, but great because when it comes to them…
You leave it all on the floor!
About the Author:
Linal Harris Global Entrepreneur – Certified Life Coach – Media Personality – Speaker
Linal Harris is a global entrepreneur, certified life coach, author, and media personality. As the founder of Inspirational Perspective® Publishing, LLC and Insights 4 Life™ Coaching, LLC, Harris challenges his global audience and coaching clients to Murder Mediocrity® and live their best life possible. Harris concentrates his work as an ontological coach with clients on what he calls the 4 pillars of life; the relationship we have to ourselves, the relationships we have with others, our relationship to work and money, and the connection we have to our spirit and life’s purpose. Harris coaches CEO’s, executives, entrepreneurs, athletes and celebrities. Harris is the author of “Slay Your Goals”, where he provides his readers with scientific and research backed tips for achieving their goals. Harris is an expert goal-setter and has been called upon by Fortune 500 companies to assist with setting their strategic priorities, facilitate goal-setting sessions and provide inspirational talks.
To stay connected, be sure to follow me on the following social media outlets by hitting the links below:
For daily inspiration – text “INSPIRED” to 43783 – Enrollment is free!
If no…
Isn’t it about time you took that last shot in your life?
Isn’t it about time you grabbed the ball and ran like hell towards the goal?
Isn’t it about time you were dripping with sweat and spitting into the microphone of your life?
Be great at whatever it is you do!
Leave it all on the floor!
(Already doing great things? Then share this with someone you know, who can do great thing too.)
Related post: Dare to be Great!
About the Author:
Linal Harris
Global Entrepreneur – Certified Life Coach – Media Personality – Speaker
Linal Harris is a Corporate America graduate, global entrepreneur, certified life coach, and media personality. He has penned over 200 blog posts on his popular website of 5 years, InspirationalPerspective.com and recorded over 200 radio shows on his weekly WVON 1690 AM talk radio program, “Inspirational Perspective”—which he also broadcasts live to his Periscope channel. Harris is a heavily sought-after speaker for conferences and events across the country. He is gifted in custom designing presentations for specific audiences that motivate and inspire. He has been called upon by numerous professional career organizations, universities and Fortune 500 companies to facilitate goal-setting sessions and provide inspirational talks. In 2015, Harris was inducted into Triton College’s Alumni Hall of Fame and he was the recipient of the 2013 Chicago Defender’s Men of Excellence award and the 2012 Chicago Urban Roundtable’s 40 Game Changers Under 40 award.
To stay connected, be sure to follow me on the following social media outlets by hitting the links below:
For daily inspiration – text “INSPIRED” to 43783 – Enrollment is free!
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