May 25, 2023

Last week I took some of our leadership team to see the movie “Air” in the theatre. If you’re not familiar with the plot of the movie, it follows the story of Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro. Sonny was a talent scout for Nike’s poorly performing basketball division in the early 1980’s. While many of the higher ups, including Phil Knight, CEO, felt like the company should invest their marketing money into several different players in 1984, Sonny had the deep held conviction that they should spend it all on one. Who was that one? The greatest of all time – Michael Jordan.

The movie is fantastic and full of all kinds of great leadership principles, but one thing that stuck out to me was Sonny’s perseverance. Almost every single person in his life told him he was making a mistake. They told him Michael wasn’t that good, they told him Michael would sign with Adidas. They told him he was wasting his time; Michael would cost way too much. Still, Sonny refused to quit.

He pushed. He prepared. He stayed late. He sacrificed. He refused to listen to the naysayers, and in the end it paid off. Michael Jordan signed with Nike. Nike’s goal for that first year was to make 3 million dollars from “Air Jordans.” Instead they made 126 million. Today Nike has a market cap of 143 billion, making it the 66th most valuable company in the world. Just think, none of it would have happened if Sonny Vaccaro had quit.

"If you are not where you want to be DO NOT QUIT, instead reinvent yourself and change your habits."
— Eric Thomas

"Most people give up just when they're about to achieve success. They quit on the one-yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game one foot from a winning touchdown."
— Ross Perot

"So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit."
— Galatians 6:9 The Message

Legendary leaders persevere. They endure. One of my favorite songwriters Billy Joe Shaver sings, “The tough get going when the going gets tough!” Everyone gets to the end of their life, but not everyone finishes their course. Here are a few ways you can avoid the temptation to quit:

1. Know where you’re going. – Clear direction destroys distraction. Put up a dream board in your office.
2. Feed your desire to finish. – Keep your eyes on things that will stir up your passion to finish. Listen to positive podcasts, teachings, and music that lift your spirit and resolve.
3. Get the proper training. – Be a lifelong learner. Stay on the cutting edge of your industry.
4. Don’t look back. – Experience doesn’t make us better, it’s only the experiences we learn from that make us better. Learn from your past and let it go.
5. Don’t compare yourself with others. – You are unique. You are an original. Run your own race.
6. Be thankful. – Psychologists tell us the healthiest emotion is gratitude. It invigorates us and can empower us to keep going.
7. Surround yourself with the right people. – Show me your closest friends and I’ll show you your future. Our friends can lift us up or drag us down.
8. Keep your eyes on Jesus. – He is our source of strength and ability. As long as you are connected to Him, nothing can defeat you.

Book Recommendation:
You Owe You by Eric Thomas

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God is For You!
Pastor Blunt