I am often asked what I love about what I do. Many have heard me say that I have never had a bad day at work. That may be a slight exaggeration, but very slight. It has never seemed like work to me. Even days when I fail are not bad days.

So, what do I love? There are lots of things I love, but there is one thing that sometimes takes awhile to click. But, when it does, the effort put into the process is totally rewarded. So, “what is it?” What puts a smile on my face, a tear in my eye or sometimes both?

The reward for me is that time when the person actually sees the roadblock in their life and what the possibility is of moving past that roadblock or completely causing it to disappear. Sometimes it is a simple action. However, there is nothing simple about that which you can’t see.

What I love is when people understand that they can actually have what they want. What really makes it great is when it happens in the face of all the people that thought the person’s efforts were a waste of time. Or, that they are never going to be willing to do what it takes. Or, that they are lazy or stupid or not talented enough.

I could be the poster child for this conversation. As I grew up, people didn’t think badly of me but they definitely thought I would never have my dreams. I played all the sports in high school. However, with the exception of tennis, none were varsity sports. In California during that time, athletes were classified A,B,or C according to height, weight and age. Given I was 5’7” tall, 135 lbs. and 16 years old going into my senior year, I was Class B or lower throughout my high school years.

When i was in the 6th grade I declared that I wanted to be a pro athlete and a coach when I grew up. Even though my favorite sport was basketball, I thought baseball would be where size wasn’t as big a factor. Regardless, I never stopped pursuing my dream. I did everything I could to prepare myself. I never shared my dream because I didn’t want to hear people’s assessment about my chances of having that dream. Don’t make that mistake.

After graduation I enrolled at a California Community College and signed up to try out for the basketball and baseball teams. My freshman year I didn’t get to play much in either sport. I practiced as if I was a starter. Then in April or May a magical thing began to happen. I grew five inches in five months! My sophomore year I started on a State Championship Basketball team and got significant playing time in baseball. None of this would have happened had I failed to put in the  practice time i.e., given up on my dream. I was recruited by Fresno State.

Here’s the bottom line—I grew to 6’4” tall, 185 lbs. played professional basketball and was a major league draft choice in baseball. I coached basketball for 25 years at all the levels. I started a business that for 30 years, has allowed me to train individuals and teams in leadership and effective performance. None of this would have happened if I had given up on my dreams.

Be sure to check out the coaching bookstore to support your own dreams.