I hit the genetic lottery and grew to 6’4” — combined with my work ethic, I became a professional athlete.
That pro athlete tag lends credibility to everything I say and do to this day.
Other athletes, specifically in basketball, some who hit the lottery even bigger than me in terms of size and athletic ability (not to imply that they/we didn’t also work hard) took it even further: the NBA, fame, endorsements, big contracts that are publicly searchable.
I hit the genetic Pick-6 lottery.
They hit the Powerball Jackpot.
It’s levels to this shit.
It’s because of this, when people ask me who my mentors or inspirations are, I never note athletes, but instead people in entertainment.
They weren’t born with natural advantages that automatically separated them from 99% of possible competition like most of us ball players. While luck and timing do play a role in any success, they had to earn theirs and fight through a much bigger crowd than I had to.
The men I mentioned had to compete against anyone who thinks they can rap or sing or produce a song. No natural selection process eliminates candidates for that.
I was competing only against people 6’0” and taller. Doesn’t mean it was a walk in the park, but my height gave me entry into a room that 5’7” players couldn’t enter. I was in an industry that you can’t earn or hustle your way into without certain god-given attributes.
This is all true.
It’s funny — basketball players don’t like when I say this stuff. Some of them feel it takes away from the effort and intention behind their achievements.
Well dammit, I played too — and I can still recognize how luck played a role in my outcome.
[Players: no one will think less of your basketball career because you’re tall; it doesn’t work that way. If you made it, you made it — *how* you made it requires details that most people don’t care about, anyway. This applies to all of life.]
Luck matters for everyone. It’s the first key concept I explain in Hard Work Ain’t Enough (that’s a free video training). When it comes to the actions I take to supplement that luck, I look to people who had fewer built-in advantages than I did.
They had to hustle harder.
Speaking of hustling, read my book Work On Your Game to learn how my athletic success was anything but a forgone conclusion (until it happened), along with the frameworks you can use and apply to your own life and success.
Order your hardcover copy here (and get immediate access to $1200+ in bonuses): http://WorkOnYourGameBook.com
Be sure to check the following MasterClasses on this topic —
#195: My Virtual Mentors Vol. 1: Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs
#1217: My Virtual Mentors, Vol. 5: Michael Jordan
#488: My Virtual Mentors, Vol. 4: Damon Dash
#316: My Virtual Mentors Vol. 3: Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson
#281: My Virtual Mentors, Vol. 2: Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter
How would you like to access not only these, but 1,507+ ADDITIONAL MasterClasses on every possible topic to advance your Mindset, Business and Life — without having to go searching for the best stuff on your own?
(Oh yeah: did I mention the EXCLUSIVE smartphone app that has EVERY MasterClass I’ve ever made?)
With the Game Group Membership, you’ll have unlimited access to the best daily teaching — which means it will be nearly impossible for your game to ever fall off like it did in the past.
When you become a Game Group Member, you get immediate access to ALL of the best material that Dre Baldwin (that’s me) has ever created, all organized and structured for you— PLUS six exclusive bonus courses.
I’ve created a FREE 14-day trial for you to experience the Game Group for yourself, which includes over 1,500 hours of my BEST material since 2005.
Get started with your free trial here: http://WorkOnMyGame.com/GameGroup