You can learn a lot from...

Welcome to the OPPO FLOW Storybook.

On Monday, I hosted and facilitated the JUMP.

And… we sold out! 🎟️

Based on the feedback I’ve received thus far, the inaugural OPPO FLOW Workshop Event was a MASSIVE SUCCESS. 🤩

An intimate setting, with 20 people in the room, working on themselves to become the best versions of themselves.

Getting back to the foundation of who you are, what you stand for, where you want to go, and why you want to get there.

Bringing alignment for when opportunities come your way, you only say yes to the ones that will further you along in your mission.

Eliminating the chaos from saying yes to too many things, while also avoiding the complacency of doing nothing.

Most of your opportunities will come by the consistent work you put in on yourself.

IT.

WAS.

AMAZING.

Stay tuned HERE for the next one over the Summer in Phoenix, AZ. 🌵

I LOVE the game of BASKETBALL. 🏀

My favorite sport to play by far.

With the NBA playoffs in full force, it’s a hot topic in the sports world. 🔥

For me, shooting hoops is a place to get into flow state… a place to think, while achieving a form of success with each shot made, and learning from each shot missed.

Basketball has taught me a lot that I’ve taken with me into my personal and professional life.

• How to win with humility and grace.

• How to bounce back quickly from setbacks.

• How to trust those on your team to make it happen.

• How to build the confidence in taking the lead when necessary.

At a very basic level, the goal of the game is to score more points than the other team and you do that, by putting the ball through the hoop.

It takes discipline, finesse, teamwork, fundamentals, MANY little wins, and a bit of creativity to come out on top when the buzzer goes off.

The most often used starting position when you have the ball in your hands is called the TRIPLE THREAT POSITION.

This is where you’re in an athletic stance with both hands on the ball, tucked back by your hip and away from the defender.

Just like this… 👇

Why is it called the triple threat?

Because from this position, you can do one of three things…

1. Shoot the ball and score.

2. Dribble the ball for a high percentage layup.

3. Pass the ball to a teammate and trust them to make the play.

Let’s break down how each option applies to real life and obstacles…

SHOOTER’S SHOOT.

If you’re too afraid to shoot the ball, it’s difficult to succeed.

Or you’ll always be relying on others to make it happen for you.

If you’re open and you see the opportunity right in front of you to take matters into your own hands, GO FOR IT.

Then, be okay with your misses.

You won’t be successful 100% of the time.

In fact…

…more often than not, you will miss.

Even Jordan missed more than he made in his career with a 49.7 shooting percentage.

Pretty damn close, and he was the GOAT 🐐 but still missed more shots than he made.

The more times you see the successes throughout your day, your week, your month, or year, the more confident you become…

…and with confidence…

…the overall flow of your life, will make you feel UNSTOPPABLE. 💪💪

SHOOT THE BALL.

Now the other team’s goal is to stop you from shooting the ball, right?

They will be in your face to make sure you can’t get a shot off or at the very least make it as difficult as possible to succeed.

The defender is an obstacle in your way.

If you don’t have the shot, then you have the opportunity to make a move and dribble around the defense.

This also provides the potential of a better chance at success in the form of a layup.

A higher percentage of SUCCESS. 🙌

It’s an opportunity to take a little bit of a longer journey towards achieving your goal with a couple extra moves. (dribbles)

Yet, it is a risky move when the obstacle is right up on you.

In basketball, if you pick up your dribble, you can’t dribble again and if you still don’t have the shot…

…now you only have one option left. 😱

This is when you rely on your resources and ask for help.

There is no “I” in TEAM.

It takes a village to get to where you want to go.

There’s no way Jordan would have won 6 championships without Pippen, Kukoc, Rodman, Grant, Paxson, Kerr, etc.

All of those guys made a massive impact to achieving greatness and they too could not have done it without Jordan.

As a Phoenix Suns fan, I’ll never forget the Bulls vs. Suns championship in 1993.

I was seven years old and have a vivid memory watching the final seconds of Game 6 in the NBA Finals.

With 14.1 seconds left on the clock, the Suns are up by two points 98-96 on their home floor in Phoenix, AZ.

Michael Jordan inbounds the ball to Bill Cartwright and he immediately passes it back to Jordan, because… well… it’s Jordan.

You would think he’d be preparing for the final shot…

However, as he dribbles up the court he finds an open Pippen.

Who then makes a move and dribbles past Charles Barkley for what would be on his way to an easy game-tying layup.

Instead, Phoenix’s Mark West turns into a wall, and Pippen makes a quick pass to an open Horace Grant down low.

Before Grant could attempt a shot, Danny Ainge slides over to be a disruption.

Another obstacle.

Grant fires a dart to the three point line to a WIDE OPEN Michael Jor… Nope!

John Paxson. 

Without hesitation, the opportunity presented itself and… DRAIN.

In a matter of 10 seconds, ALL FIVE PLAYERS touched the ball on the Bulls' final offensive possession, ending in Paxson’s HEART BREAKING 3-pointer.

Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. GAME.

With only 3.9 seconds left on the clock, that shot was the catalyst to Chicago completing the elusive three-peat in 1993.

Still painful, but here’s the clip below. 👇

The moral of the story is when you have all the confidence in the world, such as a Michael Jordan or any one of those guys on that team who passed the ball instead of shooting with an obstacle in their way…

Don’t be afraid to pass the ball.

It does NOT have to always fall on YOU to make it happen.

Lest not be foolish and disregard the ability to ask for help in order to achieve your overall mission.

If you want to go fast, go alone.

If you want to far, go together.

Okay, I can shoot, dribble, or pass…

All sounds great, but…

“What happens when you’re in your triple threat position and you have NO option or it’s not clear the best route to go or the obstacles and setbacks are too hard to overcome?”

Do you then panic?

Run and hide?

NO. 🙅‍♂️🙅‍♀️

In basketball, leveraging the pivot, you’re able to move around and create space with one foot planted until the clear option presents itself.

Pivoting without shooting, dribbling, or passing gives you another option to be patient.

You still have the same goals and now is not the time to give up on them.

Don’t let the obstacle win and steal the ball away from you.

Be strong and give yourself some time to assess the situation.

Create the awareness you need to see the challenging situation from another angle.

With time and assessment, overcoming obstacles will become more clear.

PIVOT and LEARN, but don’t RUN and HIDE.

This is the MINDSET SHIFT. 🤯

Until our next FLIGHT, check out our latest episode of the SuccessFlow Podcast.

Please like, subscribe, comment, and share. 🤗

Episode 48: Obsession and Accountability

FULL EPISODE

Remember, Opportunity is Everywhere!!

Cheers! Steven

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