Maximize Potential

I do some of my best thinking on planes. I don't fit into coach very well, so I have to do something to not think about the lack of leg room I am currently experiencing. While traveling this week, I took four flights and as is my custom, caught up on some reading. This month's GQ had a great article with LeBron James. In the Q&A session there were a couple of questions asked by the editorial staff that caught my eye: GQ: Best defender in the league on you? LB: Myself.

GQ: No, the best defender against you. LB: I’m the only guy who can stop me.

This exchange jumped out at me as one of exceptional awareness and individual accountability. There are so many victims out there blaming everyone and anyone beside the person starring back at them in the mirror. Regardless of the gifts and background and experiences that we've been dealt, we have the chance to make something great. So often, I know that I am the only reason that I didn't hit the goal or achieve the objective. Were there other factors, sure. But when it all boils down, it was me.

Another question that I thought was telling was in relation to his expectations of himself and his vision for how big his potential truly is.

GQ: You said in the past you wanted to be the first athlete to make a billion dollars. What was the significance to you of that number? LB: I was basically saying I want to maximize my potential as a businessman. I don’t want to look back twenty years from now and think, Why didn’t I do this when I had the muscle? It’s not, I made a billion, yay, let confetti rain. It’s all about maximizing potential.

Yeah - He's 24. Get excited about a lot of King James' potential being maximized for years to come.