Your Dream Is Only As Good As Your Team
The 1992 USA Men's Basketball Team, better known as the "Dream Team," is often referred to as the greatest sports team ever assembled. No, not just basketball; all of sports. Comprised of the greatest players in the NBA at the time--and college basketball standout Christian Laettner--the Dream Team competed in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. The Barcelona Games were the first Olympics in which professional athletes were allowed to compete. The result? The NBA, and basketball in general, was transformed into a global phenomenon.
The Dream Team demolished their international competition by an average of 44 points on their way to winning the gold medal. They went 8-0 in Olympic competition. They scored 100 or more points in every single game. The team's head coach, Chuck Daly, did not even call a single timeout in any of the games.
As of today, 11 of the 12 players on the roster--all except Laettner--have been inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The 1992 team, as a whole, was enshrined in the Olympic Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
Each player on the Dream Team possessed their own unique skill set and were the best at what they did on the basketball court. When they were assembled together onto one team, they were unstoppable. Naturally, they pushed each other and, as a result, brought out the best in one another. That is the byproduct of coexisting with greatness.
Renowned motivational speaker Jim Rohn famously said, "You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with."
Who is in your starting 5? Who are the people you spend the most time hanging with, talking to, and, consequently, are being influenced by? Does the presence of these individuals leave you better off, or are they holding you back from realizing your highest potential?
Surround yourself with people who force you to become the best version of yourself. Those who encourage you to aspire for greatness and to become a better person. Those who give you the necessary inspiration to step up, get your stuff in order, and make a meaningful impact.
Billionaire Warren Buffett once said, "It's better to hang out with people who are better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you'll drift in that direction."
By default, who you associate with has an impact on the direction your life goes in. If you are constantly around people who are complacent, destructive, and they have no vision for their lives, eventually you will begin to adopt that behavior and lose sight of your own aspirations. Bad company corrupts good character. So take inventory of your associations, evaluate the people in your life, and make adjustments as necessary.
Everyone cannot come with you on your life's journey. In order for you to accomplish everything you want to, only those who bring the best out of you should have a place in your life.
In addition, it is important to surround yourself with people who hold you accountable for your actions and to a higher standard of living. For me, the people in my circle check me when my actions don't match up with my vision. It may not be what I want to hear, but it is what I need to hear in order to grow into the person I aspire to be. They do not check me for their own personal pleasure. They unapologetically do so because they require the best out of me at all times. That added push helps me stay focused on my objectives and committed to the process. I have an expectation of those closest to me to hold me accountable for my actions, and, in turn, they expect the same from me. When someone expects the best out of you, you are more likely to put forth the best representation of yourself.
Appreciate those who treat your dreams as if your dreams are their own. Those who are concerned not about what you can do for them, but rather what they can do to help you become your greatest self.
These are the characteristics of people who hold you and your well-being in high esteem.
The Good Book says, "As iron sharpens iron, so another person sharpens another." Yes, you, and only you, are responsible for the outcomes in your life. However, whom you surround yourself with has a profound impact on what you accomplish and the person you eventually become. You are a reflection of the people you spend the most time with.
Your goals and interests may not always align with those you associate with. But what you do need is a shared level of drive and ambition as well as the desire to hold each other accountable and advocate on one another's behalf. Be a part of a team with unique dreams, but an identical grind.
Teamwork truly does makes the dream work. So choose your team wisely.
