And I believe collectively as a group we're gonna kick the competition's butt
because we understand how important it is to think, execute and dominate.
Suck it up
Get tough
Suck it up
Get tough
People wanna have success, people wanna make a lot of money
but they want it to be easy without any challenges
you think it was easy for me to become one of the top 450 basketball players
in the world that you never heard of?
The only way I made it to the NBA was I was fundamentally sound,
I was mentally tough and I never quit
and even when I wanted to quit
I had people in my life that would make sure I didn't quit.
I hired and set up the top 10 motivational speakers
watched all their videos and I watched them one by one
because I understand if I pay attention to what the best are doing
I could be the best too
I watched Game film on Michael Jordan
no matter how much I watch, I can’t do what Michael Jordan can do
I was watching Magic Johnson, I can't do what Magic Johnson would do
but I sat there, in hand with videos
I watched Les Brown, Zig Ziglar, Tony Robbins
My hot wife was scared, I was scared
I called her to my office and I said what a husband say
I said “babe, we gonna be okay”
Everyone wants a check and our account was draining
I said “baby, we gonna be okay”
let's start a motivational speaker business.
I go to Jerry Sloan and I say “Jerry, I'm trying to make your team
but since we don't scrimmage, I feel like I can't show you what I can do”
go to corral, hear me clearly, listen to his answer
and it will unlock some mysteries
as to how you become the best in the world at what you do, over a long period of time.
Jerry I'm trying to make your team
but I feel like I can't show you what I can do
he says “Walter, I already know what you can do
but if you want to make my team
I suggest you listen
follow directions
and execute”
Listen
follow directions
and execute
What I didn't realize, even though we didn't scrimmage in practice through our practice
We did drills and he created what I call habits and rituals
every single day practice was the same
every single day we drilled on fundamentals
every single day we worked on the habits and rituals.
So even though my mind was floating, even though I was selfish and self-centered
he was conditioning me into the culture through practice of habits and rituals.
The reason why I tripled my NBA income in three years?
is because of habits and rituals.
Next year if your name didn't get called to come across the stage
I’m here to tell you they will call your name next year
if you go back home and execute habits and rituals.
I wanted to scrimmage for me
but Jerry Sloan was getting me ready to play for the Utah Jazz
so everyday it was about habits and rituals.
Having hot food is about habits and rituals
great customer service is about habits and rituals
being the best in the world at what you do
being a pro is all about habits and rituals.
Let me tell you something, I learned a very valuable lesson
I played for the Utah Jazz, I had a point guard on my team
who's arguably the best point guard in the history of the NBA
his name is John Stockton
John Stockton would go to a chiropractor four times a day on game day.
You know what I said to myself?
I'm not doing that, it doesn’t take all that.
John Stockton played 19 years in the NBA, I played three.
You would have thought I'd have been smart enough to watch a hall-of-famer
and just shut my mouth, hop in the car and go with them.
No, my mind said nah, it doesn’t take all that, I would tease him
Man, John Stockton are you OCD or something?
Why are you going to a chiropractor four times a day?
He swore by his chiropractor
that man played point guard in the NBA until he was 40 years old
and he didn't retire because he got slow
he retired because he refused to wear baggy shorts
he loved his daisy dukes.
Every day on game day, John would go to a chiropractor four times a day.
And in my immature basketball mind
I would say nah it doesn’t take all that
I don't need to do all that
I'm an award winning motivational speaker
because now I'll pay attention to details.
Another peak performers truth
peak performers
are detail-oriented.
My college ball career was over
I got offered a job to become a hospital administrator
two year program $75,000 job.
and right before I took the job, my daddy called me on the phone
Let me tell you about my daddy
when I was a little boy my daddy would always pick me up
When he came home from work, he picked me up
when he saw me in the nursery after church, he picked me up
no matter how long he worked, no matter how tired he was
my daddy would always pick me up.
So when I had my kids, I would always pick up my kids.
when I got home, sometimes I was tired
and they would have a bottle in one hand and they just lifted up their other hand
and they knew what daddy was supposed to do
my job was to pick them up.
This is a spiritual interaction
when you pick up a child, it’s a spiritual transaction
when you pick up a child, you change their perspective
when you pick up a child all of a sudden they can see the world the way you see it
I don’t care what your children have done
there’s nothing they can do, for you to stop picking them up
well, my daughter is a drug addict, I don't care pick her up
my son messes up, I don't care pick him up
I don't care
You pick them up
That is your job mama, that is your job daddy
that is a your job grandma, that is your job granddad
your number one job is to pick them up
and change their perspective.
My saddest day, one day my daddy looked at me
and said boy you too big, I can't pick you up anymore
but when he couldn't pick me up physically
he would pick me up emotionally
he would pick me up spiritually.
I had a great dad because he would always pick me up
he would always change my perspective
So my daddy called me on the phone and he asked me a question
he said “son, you had a tough year, What's next?”
I said dad “I'm gonna be a hospital administrator”
he said “not bad, but let me ask you a question son
do you believe you're an NBA player?
you can’t produce yourself in there son
if you don't think so, go take the job
but if you believe you’re an NBA player
go for it
My dad had self-control and discipline and waited for my answer
and my answer was yes
You're right dad, I can't work to the rest of my life.
Playing in the NBA is a dream
I've had ever since I was a little boy.
he said “go for it son”
I limped back into my coach's office with a cast on my foot
tears in my eyes
I said “coach, what do I need to do to play in the NBA?”
he said “do two things and you can play in the NBA
lose 20 pounds or shoot a three-point shot with range, you can play in the NBA”
If you lose 20 pounds and shoot the three-point shot with range, you can play in the NBA
I lost 20 pounds and every day I would shoot 500 shots a day, every single day
I got invited to training camp with the Dallas Mavericks
And not only did I make the team
I became the first ever undrafted rookie free agent
in the history of the Dallas Mavericks to start opening night.
Could you imagine what was going through my mind?
I had not started a basketball game since high school
I got to the arena, they get the lights on, they put the spotlight right on me
Right in the the spotlight I saw my mom right there and all my brothers and sisters
and then I saw my dad
and I pumped my fist
and he pumped his fist
and tears
streamed down on my face
Thank you for all those timeouts
Thank you for making sure I was always home when the streetlights came on
Thank you for making sure I could always hear your voice
Thank you for always changing my perspective