Lessons on Marriage from LeBron James
Tonight is Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
I’m not the kind of guy who obsesses over sports, but every so often something special in the sporting world catches my eye.
If you haven’t been paying attention, this is the 8th year in a row that LeBron James has led his team to the NBA finals.
From the time he was 26 years old, LeBron James has helped his team win enough games to make the playoffs, then consistently beat the best players on the best teams over and over again to win series after series all the way to the championships… Every. Single. Year.
He’s now 33, and he’s back again... despite being on the 4th best team in the conference.
So I got to thinking, “What is it about LeBron (aside from his natural gifts and abilities) that has allowed him to build a dynasty where others incredible players have failed? What makes him such a relentlessly consistent winner when other highly gifted and competitive athletes fall short?”
Here’s what I believe to be the difference in LeBron’s own words:
“Commitment is a big part of what I am and what I believe. How committed are you to winning? How committed are you to being a good friend? To being trustworthy? To being successful? How committed are you to being a good father, a good teammate, a good role model? There’s that moment every morning when you look in the mirror: Are you committed, or are you not?”
On Day 1, when you get married, I KNOW you didn’t say, “Gee, I sure hope we can have a super mediocre marriage…”
No way!
You were committed to something extraordinary! You wanted to have the best marriage.
But do you still wake up every single day, and feel that same commitment? Do you have that moment every morning that LeBron talks about when you look in the mirror and ask yourself, “Are you committed, or are you not?”
That’s the difference.
There are a lot of decent basketball players out there, just like there are a lot of decent marriages out there. And there’s NOTHING wrong with being decent. But why settle for decent, good-enough, or passable when you can have extraordinary, world-class, the best in the world?
The thing about NBA championships, is that there is only one trophy, and it’s only given out to one team, once a year. There’s a very limited supply… and there are some years where the best player on the planet doesn't walk home with their goal being met.
But when it comes to creating a world-class marriage, there’s no trophy limit! ANYONE CAN ACHIEVE THIS GOAL!
It just requires a fierce commitment and consistent effort.
Again, some advice from LeBron:
“I have short goals – to get better every day, to help my teammates every day – but my only ultimate goal is to win an NBA championship. It’s all that matters. I dream about it. I dream about it all the time, how it would look, how it would feel. It would be so amazing.”
What is the ONLY thing that matters to you? Maybe it's not being NBA Champion. But I propose that it can be to be the best husband or wife on the planet. To have the best marriage on the planet. To make every day extraordinary. To live a full, rich life chock full of memories, laughter, and meaningful moments.
Visualize it.
Work at it every day.
Think about it every day.
Daydream about it every day.
Invest in it making it a reality every day.
Greatness isn’t achieved by accident. It’s created on purpose. Every. Day.
“Greatness is defined by how much you want to put into what you do.” (Again, Lebron James)
In the final moments of your life as your playclock ticks down, I truly doubt that you’ll be thinking, “I wish I would have spent a few extra hours at work last week...”
Or “If only I could have finished that Netflix series...”
Or “I didn’t spend enough of my life playing video games…”
Or “If only I could have gotten just 100 more followers on Instagram, my life would have been complete.”
NO! You’ll be thinking of the time you spent (or didn’t spend), the memories you made (or didn’t make), the bonds you created (or didn’t create), the vacations you took, the laughs you shared, the moments you savored with the people you love the most.
And the best way to live a happy, fulfilling life you can be proud of - the life of a champion - is to create the most epic, legendary, extraordinary relationships possible.
So, I invite you to get committed. To invest every day in what’s most important. To make your dreams a reality.
“My dream has become a reality now, and it’s the best feeling I’ve ever had.” - LeBron James
Wanna Be A Champion of Love?
If you're the kind of person who is committed to being a world champion of love, and you're not signed up for my email list, now is your chance. I'll give you everything I can to help you make your dreams of epic love a reality. Just sign up here: