Dear Friend,

The Olympics finished yesterday in grand style. Many participants went home with medals, and some shed tears of joy because all the hard work finally paid off.

Watching these athletes put everything on the line reminds me of the importance of dedication and focus. Today, as I celebrate my birthday, it’s a moment to reflect on my own journey, filled with gratitude for the lessons learned along the way. 🎉

This brings to mind The Sword Crafter’s Parable shared by Robin Sharma:

Many years ago, there was a sword crafter who was known worldwide for his reputation for creating swords that were genius-level. People revered this man. He was the master craftsperson of sword people. He was the best in the world at what he did.

One day, a great king heard about this sword crafter and he said, “I must meet this man.” So the king’s people went out and found this sword crafter in a very small village, and they brought him to meet the king. The sword crafter came in and he was very humble and very gentle. The king, in return, was also very gracious and welcoming.

Then the king asked the sword crafter his favourite question for masters. He said, “Sword crafter, what is the secret to your extraordinary excellence at what you do?”

The sword crafter said, “Well it’s very simple, King.” He said, “Ever since I was a young child, I was exposed to the craft of making swords.” And he said, “I fell in love with it. It didn’t only speak to my head and my logic; it spoke to me at the most deep and soulful level. It spoke to my heart.” He said, “When I was a young child, I made a decision that I would be the master sword crafter.” So he said, “As I grew up, I read books on sword crafting, and if something did not relate to sword crafting, if it did not have the word 'sword' in it, if it did not look like a sword, if it had nothing to do with the art of sword crafting, I did not spend my time with it. That is the secret of my mastery.”

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It sounds very simple: focus and stay on it.

How do you know if you are in the right direction for becoming a master?

Ask yourself: 

Aside from talking about it, how much time and resources have I invested in being the best at what I do?

It’s time you decide to be a Master!

Stay on it!

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One more thing, did you get to see this video? A couple of years ago, Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, hit rock bottom. Caught drunk driving, contemplating suicide, and ready to end it all, but something happened to him that changed the course of his life.

It’s all chronicled in this video, ‘The Evolution of Michael Phelps’.

Good friends matter A LOT. They help you 'Stay on it.'