So the highly anticipated, much talked about, iPad 2 was announced yesterday!  For a couple of months I’ve been saying, when the new iPad comes out I will get one and join the millions that kiss their Apple technology goodnight before they lay their head down and drift off to sleep.  I’m pretty much already there anyway (own Macbook Pro, iPhone, etc.).

There is a lot to be learned from the buildup and announcement of Apple’s latest product update that can be applied to your life and your current situation.

Here are 4 Lessons We Can Learn:

1.  Anticipation Is 77% Of The Fun

I think about the day I play Michael Jordan numerous times throughout each day.  What will it be like?  Will he take the game seriously?  Will my first shot be a deep three pointer or will I attempt to attack the greatest basketball player ever?

The anticipation of my 1-on-1 match-up with MJ, is 77% of the fun!  Through all the court work, the shooting, the injuries, etc., it’s where I’ll spend most of my time, in the anticipation phase.  I can’t wait!

That is no different than the buildup to Apple’s latest update of the iPad.  When the iPad 2 was announced, websites and twitter went ablaze as to what new features the product would have.

The countdown to March 11, 2011 began.

2. The Next Best Thing Is Coming!

Hours before the iPad 2 announcement, people were already saying that the iPad 2 isn’t the product to get.  Instead they were cautioning consumers to wait for the iPad 3 because that will be the iPad that is truly amazing!

Fact:  When the iPad 3 is released someone will say the iPad 4 will be better, and they will be right.

There is always going to be something better on the way, but that shouldn’t hold you back from getting in the game.

A perfect time doesn’t exist. Jump in and live!

3.  STOP Waiting!! (The MAGICAL other 23% of the equation)

Why wait to have the iPad?  Others are loving theirs now!

More importantly, why wait to go after your dream?  Others are living theirs now!

I mentioned that anticipation is 77% of the fun, well the other 23% is where the magic really happens.  The other 23% is the DOING and it changes lives!

If you’ve followed along on my journey thus far, you know that I’ve done things I never thought I would do and I’m only six months into this larger than life dream of playing basketball with MJ!  Doing has given me a new perspective on life and I’m glad to have it!

4.  If You Want It, Get It!

If you want something, go get it!  You don’t get to experience the anticipation or the life changing road of DOING if you never make the decision to stop hesitating and go after your passion.

Push aside what others may think.  There has to be something in you that says I’ve Got To Have It!  Beyond that, you must do part two…GO GET IT!

Summary

Don’t wait any longer to pursue something you are passionate about.  Decide like I did, that you’ve gotta have it!  Then begin working towards, anticipating and best of all LIVING it!

The perfect time you’ve been waiting for is NOW!

p.s. Oh yeah, if it fits in your budget, you might want to get an iPad 2 as well.  Should be fun!

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Injury Update

My leg is feeling stronger and stronger these days.  I go in for another rehab session Friday afternoon and look forward to making more progress.

Next week I hope to get some sort of clearance from the doctor that will allow me to be a bit more active.  Patience is what I have to keep reminding myself.

me vs. MJ…the journey continues!  As always, thanks for following along!

I know the feeling a woman has when a new bag comes out.  I know the feeling when she walks in the department store “just to look” and must have that dress.

I know the feeling a man has when that new car he’s been reading about for months comes out.   I know the feeling when he walks into the Apple store “just to look” and must have that iPad.

I know the feeling a boy has when a certain pair of “special” basketball shoes are released.   I know how he feels as he approaches the shoe store, heart rate increasing, just hoping that they still have his size.

I know all of this because I was that boy.

Air Jordans

I got my first pair of Air Jordans in 1991.   I was 13 years old.

I was in the infantile stages of my basketball life, but those shoes made me feel like a pro!

In those days, I had two real opportunities each year to capture a pair of my very own Jordans.   Those being before the school year began and Christmas time.  Jordans were then and still are today, expensive athletic shoes.   I’m almost positive that the first +$100 pair of shoes my parents ever bought, were those Air Jordans in ’91.

From then until I was capable of buying my own, J’s were #1 on my wish list each and every year.

The Air Jordan craze was in full effect and I was a happy and thankful participant!

Mars, Mike and Nike (“It’s Gotta Be The Shoes!”)

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abr_LU822rQ

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Nike released a superb marketing campaign in 1988.   The spots were directed by Spike Lee, who also starred in the commercials as Mars Blackmon.   Mars was a Jordan fan and a guy just trying to figure out why Michael Jordan was so good.   In the initial television spot, following a series of questions on what made Mike the best, Mars surmised, “It’s gotta be the shoes!”

It was brilliant!

“It’s Gotta Be the Shoes,”captured every dreamer in America and beyond.   Anyone wanting to be anything in the game of basketball wanted those shoes.  People who didn’t even play ball wanted those shoes.

Thought provoking for sure.  Maybe it was the shoes.  Could it be the shoes?  Could Air Jordans make me a better player?   I wanna be like Mike.  I want Air Jordans too!

Whenever I put on a pair of Jordans then, I would always feel I was capable of doing something I wouldn’t be able to do in another “normal” pair of shoes.  Maybe my fadeaway was a bit better.   Perhaps I got a little bit higher on my jump shot or when I grabbed a rebound.

Air Jordans helped me to dream!

The Value of a Dream (Why Jordans MAY Be Underpriced)

What is the price tag for a breath of hope into a child’s wildest dream?   How much should one charge if they can drive someone to dream greater and bigger than they would do on their own?

Jordans are pricey, but in the big scheme of things really a great value.

A great value when you consider that motivational speakers charge thousands of dollars to adults to do the same.   A great value when people everywhere charge for “how to get rich” or “how to do something better” books, instructional videos, and on and on and on.

Everyone is selling something and all capitalizing on the same thing…a person’s want to be more.

So if +$100 pair of shoes can do that.  If they can make someone young or old think they can jump higher or play better, as they did for me as a youth.  If they can help someone to imagine life’s possibilities, I say that’s a good deal.  After all, if you can’t envision it, you can’t achieve it.

Still Kicking The J’s

Twenty years later, I’m still sporting Jordans.  While I know they don’t make me jump higher or help me make more shots, they do still help me to dream.

me vs. MJ…the journey and the dream are still very much alive!

Thanks for following along!

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5bzfybIVr4&feature=related

[If you’re reading this via e-mail or RSS the video might not show up, so click here to view it.]