by AC Green
“It takes a person who has an order to them, to not give in to the mediocrity.”
You’ve all heard your parents say it: “You are what you eat.” I’d like to add a quote: “You eat what you prepare, so prepare wisely.”
You are probably wondering if this article is going to be about nutrition. I’ll save you the suspense – it’s not. But we are going to look at the difference between a microwave view of life, and a deliberate, slow-cooked view. We seem to live in a society that wants everything easy and everything immediately. But you know as well as I do that the things that you have to work (and often wait for) are the things that last and the things that really matter.
Take a look at the difference:
| MicrowaveQuick and easy
Grab whatever is nearby and looks good Live only in the moment Don’t worry about the long-term consequences Push a button and wait for results Finished product doesn’t taste fresh; bland and unoriginal |
Slow-CookedTakes time, effort, and patience
Determine the best way to reach your goals Plan out what’s needed; gather all the ingredients Recognize every decision has an impact – choose wisely Re-evaluate goals regularly, and adjust as necessary Finished product reflects the energy invested |
Here’s an example. During my time in the NBA, I was blessed to play 1,192 straight games at one point. The streak spanned 15 seasons of basketball. Obviously, when building a streak like that, there were many decisions I had to make in order to best prepare myself to be able to go to work every single day. And as I’ve said so many times before, you can always find an excuse to do less, an excuse to try and “microwave” the results. I’ll do a few less reps. I want to get up late. I want to leave practice early. I don’t want to go today. I have a hangnail. Get the picture?
There’s always a reason why we don’t want to meet a certain standard. It takes a person who has an order to them, to not give in to the mediocrity. I take it as a challenge. It’s a challenge that takes consistent, sustained effort over a long period of time. Catch that – a long period of time; no shortcuts, no microwaves.
Here’s some homework for the summer: think about what you want to prepare, knowing that it is also what you will eat! What ingredients do you already have, and what ingredients do you need to get. Make that list and start acquiring the ingredients – your life is worth the effort. YOU are worth the effort.