OK, the title of this post may be a little harsh, but if we’re being honest with one another, they both do suck.

The point is, only one is supposed to.  (*see note at end of post)

####

I don’t have any New Year’s resolutions.

I didn’t set any this year, or last, or the year before.

Just reading the lines above may send the voice inside your head jumping up and down, screaming in an inaudible, yet judgmental tone, “What!!??  Is he serious???  This is time for change!  It’s 2012!!!!  Wahoooo!!!  Cue the memory fireworks!!!”

I get it.  I used to think that way too.

I would get caught up, just like the majority, in all that is great with the hype of resolutions brought on by the New Year.

The last “New Year’s Resolution” I remember setting came after seeing a movie with the family over the holidays.

The lead actor, Will Smith, was in riiiiii-diculous shape!  That prompted me to go home and research how he had transformed his body from those “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” days. (Yes, ladies, guys really think like this!   At least I did, haha!)

Within minutes of beginning my search, I found an interview that had then recently been done in conjunction with the movie, in which Smith stated that in addition to a weight-training program, he ran some 30 miles per week.

So with little thought and absolutely no planning, I set my New Year’s resolution:  Run 30 miles per week!

I literally went from zero miles, to thrusting myself into 30 miles per week on the first of January.  In truth, I hadn’t run 30 miles in the previous 10 years combined.

Does that sound silly to you?

How long do you think I kept with my New Year’s Resolution?

I ran 30 miles per week for just over five weeks, until I was sent on a work trip that placed me in 35-degree weather.  That lingering winter cold was a big enough excuse for my resolution to wither away.

I didn’t really “run” again until I “trained” for my first half marathon, two years ago.

Just recounting that story makes me cringe, but is my story really much different than yours?

Have you planned for success?  Have you thought out each phase and visualized your victory?

If not, your resolution this year may sadly falter just like those of New Year’s past.

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“Popular” New Year’s Resolutions

• Lose Weight
• Exercise More
• Eat Better
• Quit Smoking
• Drink less alcohol
• Get out of debt
• Save money
• Volunteer
• Be more organized
• Watch less television
• Improve education
• Learn a new language or musical instrument

And the list goes on and on and on….

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Why New Year’s Resolutions DON’T Work

I could spend thousands of words describing why, but this quote sums it up:

“Failing to plan is planning to fail.”

The origins of that all so true series of words may be up for debate, but I first read them in a book by John Wooden some 14 years ago.

That quote, while really so fundamentally simple, is seemingly so difficult when almighty inspiration strikes!

And what fuels resolutions after the first of the year??  Inspiration of course!

Why I didn’t launch mevsMJ.com When Inspiration Struck

If I had launched this site when the idea of mevsMJ.com exploded in my head, I would have surely failed.

I wasn’t ready.  I wasn’t prepared.

The idea was there.  The passion was without a doubt there.  The plan however, was not!

Publishing my first post when all that fueled me was a passionate idea, would have almost certainly led me to the same conclusion as running those 30 miles a week did.

Instead I did my best to write and write and write without publishing a word.  While most of the reasoning for my delayed launch was so wrong, taking the time to think through what I wanted to accomplish, and discuss, as well as, come up with some sort of plan with someone who already maintained a successful blog, is a large part of why I’m still going today.

Resolutions ARE Good, but Defined Goals are GREAT!

Please don’t misunderstand me; making a commitment to change and improve oneself is GREAT!

I absolutely LOOOOOOOVE that!

In order for you to really enact change though, you need to take the inspiration and make it a lifestyle and that can only happen with a plan!

Are You Being S.M.A.R.T. About What You Want to Accomplish?

Specific

Measurable

Attainable (all things are btw)

Relevant

Timely

*The above mnemonic has been around for decades and is a great tool to get you more structured as you begin setting goals/resolutions for yourself.

My Big Goal:  Play Michael Jordan 1-on-1

When I set out on this journey, playing hoops with Michael Jordan was the goal and still is.

Was it S.M.A.R.T.?  Yes, even as large of a goal as playing MJ is, it still met every step.

(Keep in mind I originally would have played hoops with MJ, one year from the creation of this site if his camp hadn’t been canceled.)

Sub Goals

Without making this too academic (I’ll let the PhDs do that) I always set sub goals to further breakdown my ultimate goal.

At the beginning I set the following four sub goals:  Get in the best shape of my life, Become the best basketball player I can be, Enjoy every second of the journey, and Attend Michael Jordan Senior Flight School.

Those four encompassed what I wanted to accomplish, but in no way were detailed enough to be measurable.

Sub Goal:  Get In The Best Shape Of My Life!

Taking a look at my goal of getting in the best shape of my life as an example.

It began with training for and completing two half marathons and then continuing to run some 20 miles per week for the next year.  I then incorporated more basketball specific workouts, pulling from my experience at Impact Basketball.  Then in November, I made a three-month long commitment to train with B Meyer and his team.

For me, it’s always been about keeping it fresh and having fun.  It’s also about learning and growing.

At this point my sub goal of achieving the best conditioning of life, has become a lifestyle for me.

If I look at myself prior to beginning this site, to where I am now, everything from my daily eating habits, to my conditioning has improved drastically.

I AM in the BEST Shape of my Life!

I absolutely love and am proud of the fact that I can go run 10 miles anytime.

It began with a 2 mile jog.  It began with a scheduled plan of attack.

On Tuesday morning, I repped out more pull-ups even on my third set of my circuit training, than I can ever remember doing and I was beyond enthused at my progress.

It began with a single repetition.  It began with a scheduled plan of attack.

“A 6 or a 7”

During the first training session I went through with Coach B Meyer and Dave Rubin they constantly gauged my effort output.

They wanted no more than a 6 to 7 out of a maximum 10, when it came to effort put forth on an individual exercise.

Coach Meyer told me, “I could put you through Dwight’s workout (Dwight Howard), but you wouldn’t be able to move for days.  That’s not the goal!”

Instead the focus was on technique and building a foundation.

You see they understand that a 6 or a 7, and a 6 or a 7, and a 6 or a 7, and a 6 or a 7, when totaled is far more than a couple of 10s.

Eventually that effort level can increase of course, but first the foundation must be set.

Why You Should Stop Giving It Your ALL

My natural tendency with anything I really want to do is to go all out!

I think it’s within all of us to want success quickly, so we lie to ourselves and make ourselves believe that if we skip steps we will get to our goal quicker.

When I first started running, I’d be so amped up that I’d almost take off sprinting!  That’d be fine if I was running a short distance, but when you’re running five miles or more, it’s definitely not the way to go (in the beginning).

I had to learn to control my excitement for being out there and distribute my energy effectively so that I could finish strong.

After quite some time, I got to where I could run at a fairly quick pace the entire way, but the foundation of proper conditioning through miles and miles of running had to be set first.

This of course is applicable to anything in life.

Success is a process that requires days and days of hard work.

Knowing that, you must pace yourself!

You always want to do the best you can do, but it’s true, sometimes a little less over and over again equates to more.

Accountability Partner(s)

Even with S.M.A.R.T. goals fully planned out, written down and detailed, you need to establish accountability partners.

This is with anything in life!

Find people with similar interests, partner up and hold one another accountable.  As I’ve stated in the past, if you can choose, find someone that is currently better than you at whatever it is you want to do to partner up with.  This is how you truly grow and get better!

January 1^st DOESN’T Cause Change, YOU DO!

Whether it’s the first of January, August 22^nd, or any other day, you can make a decision to change at any moment!

Set a goal, make a plan, gain accountability and make your dreams come true.

It’s never been about the New Year, it’s always been about YOU!

Happy New Year!

Yes, yes…the journey continues!!!

####

*Note:  My Dyson does a great job!

####

BIG NEWS UPCOMING!

So I’ve whispered about the upcoming news to a few and very soon I can let everyone in on what is coming up!

I will tell you that it IS about basketball and it’s not about vacuums!

Giddy up!  It’s going to be a fun ride/flight (hint, hint)!!!

Connect:  Twitter (@KennyEller) and mevsMJ.com Facebook Fan Page.

March 10, 2011

Mr. Michael Jeffrey Jordan
23 G.O.A.T Court
Charlotte, NC  32292

Dear MJ:

When you came into the league (NBA) in 1984 I was seven years old.  My big focus was getting to know my new classmates and learning how to read small books with a few words in a big font on each page.  You went on to win Rookie of the Year with a stat line of 28.2ppg, 6.5rpg, 5.9apg, and 2.4spg.  I had a knack for being able to spell and led my class in gold stars.

The very next year you got injured and played in just 18 regular season games.  I can’t say that I was fully aware of how tough that must have been on you then, as I was just in the third grade.  Even though management wanted you to sit the year out, you came back, helped the Bulls to the playoffs and put on a show.  On April 20^th you dropped an NBA playoff record 63 points on Larry Bird and the Celtics in the first round!  Unfortunately I was unable to see the game live, as we only had one TV and at eight years old I didn’t get to pick the channels.

At the age of 28 you won your first title with the Chicago Bulls.  By this time I had read every article I could get my hands on and every book I could beg my parents to buy for me.  I knew so much about you and your teammates that I felt like I was a part of the team too.  I was also starting to put quite a few hours of my own into learning the game of basketball.

By the time you had won your third straight title I had just finished my first year of JV basketball.  I was just 5’9” at the time but used to pray that I would be tall and even tried hanging on the monkey bars because I heard that’s what you did growing up.  My parents are only 5’8” and 5’6”, but your parents weren’t tall either, so I thought I had a chance!  The best thing about my game in those days was my Jordans.  I had the shoes, the jersey, the shorts and shirts.  I watched every VHS tape I could rent from the local video store over and over again trying to pick up on every little thing that made you great.  Books written about you consumed my nights.

Throughout my high school life I was never really that good at the game Dr. James Naismith invented.  I got my butt kicked over and over again in hoops, but never gave up.  I was totally self-taught and finally by my senior year I was catching up physically and skill wise with the other guys.  Even though I was more B.J. Armstrong and less Michael Jordan, I had a blast and had fallen in love with the game.

You went to baseball and I followed.  I even had my Mom take me out of school one day and we drove 2.5 hours to see a spring training game in Sarasota.  You didn’t play much that day, but around the sixth inning as you were leaving, you walked right by us, literally just feet away.  I was one happy kid!

You came back to the league and I taped every game.  Still have them all on VHS.  I began interning in the sports department at the local abc affiliate when I turned 19 years old.  This was right as you and the Bulls were on your way to going 69-13 and winning your second title in a row (5th overall).  It didn’t take the sports guys at the station long to realize how big of Jordan fan I was.  The first time you came to town they sent me out to get a comment on the following day’s big game.  It was late, and you had just gotten off the bus at the hotel.  You didn’t talk to me, actually no one really did, but I was as close to you, Pip, Phil, Dennis, Randy, Toni, Steve and the rest of the guys as anyone could ever be.  I wanted to tell you then how big of a fan I was, but that was against the journalism protocol.

You went on to win your sixth title and I got to see most every game that was in Orlando from 96-98.  I even got to come to the locker room and ask Scottie and some of the other guys questions.  You always had the most people wanting to talk to you and I was always too nervous then to ask you anything.  Instead I would stretch my arm out as far as possible with the mic in hand and battle my way in to get the sound of your voice.  The truth is I felt like I knew ya.  I didn’t want to ask you one of five routine post game questions the guys always asked.  I wanted to go into the Chris Farley “Remember When” skit.  I was a FAN!

You retired and I felt lost.  The team was dismantled and I couldn’t believe it.  I still supported the guys and did my best to keep up with Pip out in Houston when I could.  They didn’t really show all that many Rockets games in Central Florida though.  In the end, it just didn’t seem right with you not playing.

A few years later you came back!  I was 24 years old and had moved from sports to banking as a career.  Those days in Washington weren’t exactly like the days in Chicago, but myself and every Jordan fan in the World loved every minute of it!

####

So I’m not sure if you’re aware, but in August of 2010 I began mevsMJ.com, My Journey to Jordan Camp.  I had been waiting for years to be old enough to attend your Michael Jordan Senior Flight School in Vegas.  The goal of the site was to chronicle each and every step I took along the way as I prepared myself for your camp, which was to be held exactly one year from then.

I began shaking off the rust, conditioning myself and even attended professional basketball training in the beginning of November.  To prepare myself as much as possible, I also began lining up and playing games of one-on-one with top tier players so that I could be at the top of my game when we played 1-on-1 at your camp.

In December 2010, I found out that you canceled the camp this year.  I was devastated.  I had waited years for this, but was determined not to give up.  I knew when you canceled that you didn’t mean any harm.  You don’t even know me, yet.

####

I say all of that to say this.

I want to play basketball with you Mr. Jordan.  I want to play you 1-on-1.  I want to lace up my Jordans, check the ball in and give you every bit of my basketball game.  I get that I’m not the worthiest opponent when it comes to skill level, but there won’t be another human on this entire planet that will put more effort forth than when we play.  I promise you that.

I also want to show people that anything really is possible.  I want to show everyone that a regular guy who’s not even the best basketball player in his town can play his childhood hero and the greatest basketball player to ever live if HE WORKS EXTREMELY HARD AND BELIEVES!

At the end of the day, I need your help.  I need your time.  I need you to believe in what I’m trying to accomplish as much as I’ve always believed in you.

I had a dream last week.  In the dream, as I was walking out of the gym you were walking in, dressed in Jordan gear, bag hanging loosely over your shoulder.  I mustered up the courage and asked if I could please shoot around or play hoops with you.  You thought for a half of a second and said, “Sure, let’s go!”  The thing is I was nervous even in the dream!  The first time you passed the ball to me it felt like it was loaded with concrete.  My arms felt like noodles when I took the very first shot.  I had so much adrenaline running through me.  My dream had come true.

Somehow I hope this letter finds your eyes.  Somehow I hope you take the time to read it.  I hope that you connect with my dream.  I hope you feel my passion.  I pray that you say “SURE, let’s play Ken”, and make me vs. MJ a reality!

Sincerely,

Kenny Eller (Your BIGGEST Fan and NEXT 1-on-1 Opponent)

If you could retweet this letter to MJ, post it on your facebook, send to friends and family, send it to your local paper, anything to help get this message out so that it may find its place in front of Michael Jordan, I would really appreciate it!  Thank you in advance!

I woke up early yesterday morning, with a goal of figuring out how to drive more traffic to this site.   I began by reading a post on Corbett Barr’s ever popular ThinkTraffic.net, which only reaffirmed what I had been told and shown before.  I then proceeded to look for other websites in my niche of basketball and Michael Jordan, with the hopes of fostering relationships and helping to grow mevsMJ.com.

What I found next made me feel like Manny Pacquiao walked up to me and punched me in the gut.

A Group of Keywords with a very sad result

Definition of a Keyword:  A word used as a reference point for finding other words or information.

The first keyword search I did was:  Michael Jordan Senior Flight School.

This wasn’t a new group of keywords for me, as I had checked it just a couple of weeks ago to see if my ranking had improved.   Simply put, I wanted to see if any mevsMJ.com post showed up on the first couple of pages of Google’s search results.

Monday’s search results, while a lot the same, were sadly very different.

MJ Flight School (www.mjseniorflightschool.com) is the first site listed in the results when you enter the aforementioned set of words in Google’s search engine.   Makes sense, as this is the Jordan Camp home page and has been the site I have checked for years on information about the camp.

Just below the heading I read something that didn’t make sense.

I read these six dreaded words:  This domain name expired on 11/24/2010.

Stunned but still hopeful, I continued to search until I found a site that said that Michael Jordan Senior Flight School, the same camp I had planned on attending in August WAS NOT PLANNED for 2011.

My heart sunk.

One Hell of a RoadBLOCK

Definition of a Roadblock:  Something that blocks progress or prevents accomplishment of an objective.

I quickly began firing off emails to any and everyone I knew that could possibly help confirm or deny this attempted assassination of my dream.   Since beginning this site, I have sent numerous emails to people affiliated with MJ and have never received a response.

Until yesterday.

Less than 10 minutes after I sent the email, I got a response from someone associated with Jordan and his camp.

He said that it was his understanding at this time, that there would not be the same type of camp this year.   He went on to say that Michael had said this past summer that he planned on putting more energy into his Charity Golf Tournament.

What Jordan Camp Meant to Me

Years before I came up with the idea to get a game of 1-on-1 against Michael Jordan, I would read every article and watch every video I could find on the camp, patiently waiting for my opportunity.  Going to the camp was something I had dreamed about doing for years, only held back by my then youthful age.

For this site, going to Jordan Camp was at the end of the day, the dream back-up plan.  In the event that I wasn’t able to get a game of 1-on-1 versus Michael through my efforts here on mevsMJ.com before August of 2011, I would fly to Las Vegas and attend Michael Jordan Flight School.

The camp gave me something to lean on and a feeling of certainty that playing Jordan would happen.

At this time, while nothing is set in stone just yet, it doesn’t appear that Jordan Camp will be happening in 2011…if ever again.

Only Two Options Going Forward

As with all things in life, there are only really two options going forward.

The first option:  Quit.  Pull the plug on mevsMJ.com and let the dream remain just that…a dream.  Some say, that some things are better left that way.

*The second option and my choice:  Push Forward!

As J. Cole’s “Farewell” rap describes on his latest mixtape release Friday Night Lights,

“When my story’s told, how will they tell it?

Will they say I was a giver, or remember I was selfish?

Will they say I was sinner, or pretend I was a saint?

Will I go down as a winner, what’s the picture they gon paint?

Wouldn’t say that I’m a Quitter, that’s ONE THING I KNOW I AIN’T!”

I DON’T QUIT!

I can’t!

Harder…NOT Impossible

My Journey to play Michael Jordan 1-on-1 just got a whole lot harder.

Harder…not Impossible.

More difficult, more work, no sense of anything close to certainty…but not Impossible.

I wrote a post not too long ago about how, It’s Not Going To Be Easy, Nor Should It Be, and oh my, does that ever ring louder than right now?

While my natural feeling may be to hang my head, put my hands over my face and sulk, my FAITH tells me that there is a plan for my life.   A plan that includes this journey.

There have been times in my life where I’ve been knocked to my knees left searching for answers to situations that I didn’t understand.   Years later only to look back smiling and so utterly thankful for the pain.

While it may seem foolish to some, having my dream, something I’ve been anticipating for such a long time, potentially swiped away just days before it is a reality, is extremely painful to me.

I’m passionate about what I’m doing here.  I wake up daily, motivated for this journey.  I suppose pain is the result anytime something you are passionate about is threatened.

Why I Will Crush This Roadblock

I will CRUSH this roadblock because I have no other choice.

The Jordan Camp crutch has been ripped from beneath my arms and I am now left fueled by and standing with passion alone.   I’ve got a whole lotta passion though.

So I will continue to work hard!

Continue to to play the best!

Continue to prepare myself for my 1-on-1 match-up with Michael Jordan!  I still believe that I will play MJ.  Maybe not in August…maybe before!

I leave you today with two quotes by the man himself, Michael Jordan.  Two quotes that I couldn’t agree with more.  Two quotes that reach down and grab me, almost pulling me forward themselves.

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up.  Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”-Michael Jordan

“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.”-Michael Jordan

Thank you Michael Jordan!  I hope that someday soon you see this writer’s words and feel his passion.  I pray that you remember how you felt when you said the words above.

Until then Mr. Jordan, I’m going to keep preparing…you just let me know when you’re ready!

me vs. MJ…the journey continues.

A large part of me wanted to end the post there, with one word.  That one word pretty much sums it up, so if you have other things to do, you can stop reading now and just know that you should begin your passion project NOW!

If you are still reading…thank you!  As Heavy D & The Boyz used to say, “I’ve got nuttin’ but love for ya, baby!”

Passion Project (my definition):  A journey fueled by passion alone.  A journey where money and or fame isn’t the end goal.  (e.g., Playing Michael Jordan 1-on-1 :-), Walking Across America, Being Ridiculously Extraordinary, taking a melody and turning that into a song being sold on iTunes, writing and publishing a book because it’s fun and you can.)

My NOW Moment

My original goal was to begin me vs. MJ: My Journey To Jordan Camp in the late stages of 2009.  As you know, I didn’t end up launching until August 22nd of 2010.

Why August 22nd?

Because August 22nd was my NOW moment.

Prior To My NOW Moment

I was like most reading this post.  I had dreams and aspirations that “the majority” might say are unattainable.  I had a BIG dream that I was afraid to let the World know about.

In the late stages of 2009, I attempted to write for 30 days straight to build up enough content for my prospective launch.  After 10 days or so the doubt and “is it really financially wise to do this now?”, “can I do this?”, “Would Mike Jordan really play ball with me?” got the best of me.

I stopped with a handful of post outlines completed.

Mid January, I attempted to start up again.  My goal was then to launch on Jordan’s Birthday, February 17th.  February came and went.  The content wasn’t good enough.  I didn’t have enough of it. How would I ever keep this site going?

I watched Seth Godin’s “Quieting the Lizard Brain” and said, “Yes I need to SHIP” and put my birthday of May 25th as the deadline for launch.  I turned 33 and still no me vs. MJ.

In June, I emailed my buddy Karol and told him I’d be launching soon.  June and July passed.  It was still just me…no MJ.

August came and with that also came Michael Jordan Senior Flight School.  The same Jordan Camp I will attend in 2011.  I kept thinking back to a post I read on May 31st.

A portion of Tyler’s, On Top of The Cage post, Perfection: Why Overcoming It is the Key to Your Success, said this:

“My articles contain more spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors than I’d like, and I’m okay with that.  I’d rather share my ideas with the world than spend hours revising every word.  It’s more important to produce than be perfect.

There’s a saying my boss uses to describe this: “Looks good from my house.”

Most perceived imperfections are so minuscule that they aren’t worth fretting over.”

I wanted everything from my design, to my content to be top notch.  I wanted every reader’s eyes to crave it and their minds to smile.  I wanted it to be perfect.

I thought about Tyler’s post, communicated through email or iChat with Karol and got encouragement, called my brother and asked him to do a banner for me within the next five days and decided to begin.

Just as the Jordan camp ended, my journey began.  It began because without a single step, no progress can be made.

August 22nd was my NOW moment.

My Advantage (The Wisest Decision of My Life)

A lot of you know and love Karol Gajda.  I know and love him too (like a brother of course…haha).

Karol walked into a banking center I was managing around five years ago.  We chatted a bit about banking and basketball.  A few days later we were at one of the local courts shooting around.  We’ve been friends ever since.

Anyone that knows Karol, or follows him through RidiculouslyExtraordinary.com, understands that he sees the World so inspiringly different than the majority.

Having people like Karol in your life is exactly what everyone needs.

For me though, my advantage didn’t begin with Gajda.  When I was 19, I made a conscience decision to remove all negativity from my life and to only surround myself with “pro me” people.  People that LOVE me and will encourage me.  Doubters and pessimists got punted like the late, great, Reggie Roby used to punt the football when Danny Marino didn’t lead the Miami Dolphins to a Touchdown.

I told myself that in my life I had no time for anything but positivity and I acted on it.

That was the wisest thing I ever did.

My advantage isn’t that I happen to know a Guru like Karol. My advantage is that I have surrounded myself with people that encourage me and want me to accomplish amazing things!

Good news is you can do the same.

When to Punt (Tangent Time)

People whose jokes are at your expense. PUNT!

People who see the World half empty. PUNT!

People who tell you your ideas are silly. PUNT!

People that want you to do well, just not better than them. PUNT!

Anyone that doesn’t support and or make you better. PUNT!

Oh and just because you have history with that person doesn’t matter.  That’s why it’s called history.  Just because you’re a nice person doesn’t matter because being nice doesn’t mean you should subject yourself to negativity.  Be nice to yourself for once.

What Happens When You Have Support (My Advantage Continued….)

When you have true support, all the dreams and aspirations begin to LIVE when you let them out of the nice little box you keep them in and begin the journey.

As I’ve gotten back into basketball in an attempt to give MJ my best game, I’ve had tons of support.

My brother, did the banner for this site and created the identical replica of Jordan’s Rookie Card with me and my info for my About Page.  He has also kicked his basketball back into gear and we now play two times a week.

I’ve had high school basketball buddies reconnect with me and begin playing hoops with me too.

My wife has supported this journey and never once been upset when I head to court in the mornings and evenings or am locked away in my office working on content at all hours of the day and night.  She has never said that I shouldn’t spend money to go to basketball camp or to buy anything associated with this journey.  She understands how important this experience is to me.

My buddy Karol, has responded to the numerous and I mean numerous emails filled with questions on every subject you can think of when it comes to this journey.  He has done so with patience and thoughtfulness.

I’ve had friends think of me when they get cool opportunities (post on this coming soon).

I’ve had friends, who I took to lunch for their birthday, demand to take me to the bookstore after and buy ME a gift to encourage my journey.

I’ve received an amazing amount of warm words of encouragement from family and new and old friends alike.  Each and every one of those words pushes me forward and is so appreciated!

YOUR Next Step

If you’ve been putting off your dream, as I did, make a decision RIGHT NOW to do that no longer.

There is no journey or dream that is unattainable.

As my last post said, It’s Not Going To Be Easy, Nor Should It Be!, but that’s the fun of it all.

What To DO NOW!

Great!  You’ve decided to pursue your dream!!  Right??

Be excited!  You’re already one step closer to living it!  Streamers are falling from the ceiling already!

Here is what you DO NOW!: Set a timeline for beginning (within the next two weeks if possible) and a completion date (this was easy for me because Jordan Camp is in August of every year).  If your dream doesn’t have a predetermined completion date, then set one for yourself.   You need to program your mind for urgency!!!

“I Don’t Have A Support System Like You!”

If you thought that or spoke that, let me add one supportive brotha to your support system…ME!

Need encouragement, hit me up!  Need to believe in yourself and your abilities, hit me up!  Need a gentle or non gentle nudge, hit me up!

I’m here for ya, like so many are here for me.

YOUR EXACT Moment!

Remember, you can be encouraged by the smartest and most loving people this Earth has ever had walking its vast land, BUT the journey BEGINS with YOU!

Your EXACT Moment is NOW!

I watched, My Date with Drew, over a year ago and was amazed that this super fan of Barrymore’s could actually achieve his goal, which was to get a date with her.  The process wasn’t easy, and almost didn’t work out, but in the end it happened!  Success was achieved!

Being a HUGE Jordan fan, I thought why not see if I can get a game of 1-on-1 with the greatest basketball player to ever live.  Besides, I don’t think my wife would appreciate this blog if its goal was to get a date with, say, Natalie Portman;-)

So that’s how I came up with Me vs. MJ.

One game.  Me vs. Michael Jeffrey Jordan.

Simple right?

The last time I remember playing good basketball was over 12 years ago.  Good basketball of course, on the regular guy scale.  I never played any level of pro ball, or college, or even more than one year of high school basketball (sophomore).  On any court USA I was a pretty good player back in those days.  Nothing more.

This is what I am today.

Six feet, two inches (almost), 175 pounds and nowhere close at this time to where I want to be physically for this challenge.  I’m 33 years of age and call Central Florida my home.   I spend my days working for a large financial institution.  My nights relaxing with my lovely wife, of just over two years.  I play basketball a couple of times a year.

That’s me.

That wasn’t always me though.  As I said, I am a HUGE Jordan fan.  Growing up sports was my life.  Countless hours were spent playing and studying the game of basketball and the man, Michael Jordan.  I will detail that in future blog posts.

Before entering the financial arena, I also worked for four years in sports television.  In future posts, I will tell you about my life as a fledgling, wanna-be, sports reporter and the interactions I had with Jordan back in those days.

So can you picture me?

A 6 foot almost 2 inch caucasian fellow, who once could play a decent game of roundball, and was introduced to the game of basketball by a guy from N.C. who went on to be the greatest basketball player that ever lived.

A youngster who poured his heart into the game he loved, his only teacher in those days, a man who was growing to Worldwide hoops fame.

I wanted to “Be Like Mike” and growing up, Nike and Gatorade helped me believe I could be.

Fast forward through life to where I am today.

Michael Jordan turned 47 years old in February.  In the last part of May I turned 33.

This is a dream, no doubt about it.  Though, why not dream?  There are only two outcomes that are possible for this endeavor.  As Michael once said, to paraphrase, you can’t make a shot you don’t take.

So this is my shot.  Maybe one of you will help the ball go in the hoop.  I thank you in advance.

If someone does stumble across this blog and have a connection with Michael Jordan; If someone reads this writer’s posts and wants to help; This is what you will get from me.

You will get dedication.

I begin today a journey to reclaim my physical fitness and basketball prowess, of which I will also detail going forward.  Look, I know it really doesn’t matter how good I am at the game.  I could be five times better than I was at 21 and still not be able to beat MJ in a game of one-on-one.  The goal isn’t to win though.  The goal is just to play.  I merely want to be at my best if or when the opportunity comes.   That’s it.

Mr. Jordan can pick the location.  I am prepared to fly anywhere in the United States and meet him for the game.  Heck, I’ll even bring the ball if need be.

If my shot at the one-on-one game doesn’t go in and I know every shot can’t be a game winner, then I am saving my money for Michael Jordan Senior Flight School.  The school is basically a fantasy camp for guys 34 years and older to go play basketball and mingle with Michael Jordan.

Cost is $15,000 plus airfare for the three day event.

MJ’s Flight School usually takes place in August, which means I have exactly one year before I am eligible for Jordan Camp.  It should be noted that when I turned 30 I actually wrote to the camp and asked if they would make an exception on my age if I had the money to go.   I received no response.

No hard feelings.  I took a shot and missed.  It happens.  Hopefully this time the shot will go in.

Hopefully…now you in some way understand a tad bit better from where I’m coming and where I’m going.  A kid with a dream, who as a man still maintains that dream.

The road ahead may be a curvy one, but the ride should be fun.

Me vs. MJ.

My journey begins now.  Thank you for following along.

I orginally wrote this post in December 2009, with the hope of launching me vs. MJ much sooner.  Since that time, I have begun working out (which I will detail going forward).  Rather than rewriting the whole post, I updated the dates.  I thought it was important to see where I was when this journey began.