A Champion's Heart

“Heart in champions has to do with the depth of your motivation and how well your mind and body react to pressure.” Bill Russell

William Felton "Bill" Russell (born February 12, 1934) is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A five-time winner of the NBA Most Valuable Player Award and a twelve-time All-Star, Russell was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA Championships during Russell's thirteen-year career. He has the heart of a champion.

The Celtics again played the Lakers for the Championship this year and the winners were the ones with the greater depth of motivation. In the 7th game of a 7 game series there’s a lot of pressure on both mind and body, and the Lakers won because they were more deeply motivated throughout the whole game. You probably aren’t playing for a championship today, but what you’re doing is no less important to you and those around you. At work, home or play, you should always try to be your best: to work harder than expected, to produce more that is needed, to care more than anyone else, to never give up until the game is over. That’s how you set the standards for others to follow and create the experiences that others want. Losing is not nearly as much fun as winning, so we should always try to be winners. Don’t let today go by without showing that you have the heart of a champion.