Vernon Brundage Jr. - Shoot Your Shot: A Sport-Inspired Guide To Living Your Best Life

Shoot Your Shot:

A Sport-Inspired Guide to

Living Your Best Life

Shoot Your

Shot

A Sport-Inspired Guide to

Living Your Best Life

VERNON BRUNDAGE JR.

Copyright 2018 by Vernon Brundage Jr.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

Disclaimer: The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the Author and Publisher are not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. Further, readers should be aware that the websites referenced in this work may have changed or been removed between when this work was written and when it is read.

First Printing: 2018

ISBN 978-1-719-90038-6

www.vernonbrundage.com

Ordering Information:

U.S. trade bookstores and wholesalers: Please contact Vernon Brundage Jr. via email: Vernon@vernonbrundage.com

This book is dedicated to those who have been

with me shootin in the gym.

You are eternally appreciated.

CONTENTS

PREGAME

FIRST QUARTER

1. Remove Limitations
2. Take Responsibility For Your Own Outcomes
3. Put In The Work And Prepare Adequately

SECOND QUARTER

1. Use Your Unique Gifts On Your Unique Path
2. See Your Shot Going In Before You Shoot It
3. Shoot Your ShotAnd Always Follow Through

HALFTIME

First Half Highlights

THIRD QUARTER

1. Success Leaves Clues
2. Your Dream Is Only As Good As Your Team
3. Overcome Adversity

FOURTH QUARTER

1. Hold That L
2. Know When Its Time To Hang It Up
3. Your Health Is Your Wealth

END OF REGULATION

Second Half Highlights

OVERTIME

1. Maintain An Attitude Of Gratitude
2. Pay It Forward

POSTGAME

PREGAME

In recent years, the motto shoot your shot has taken on a life of its own. While its origin is sport-basedi.e., you shoot your shot in basketball, soccer, hockey, etc.the expression is more frequently being used in societys everyday lingo.

Nowadays, the saying primarily characterizes a persons pursuit of a romantic interest. (One of the most notable examples being Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid shooting his shot at music icon Rihanna.) We see it in social media posts, hashtags, and statuses. People use it in everyday conversations amongst friends via phone, text, virtual chat, or face to face. Even the highly popular nationally syndicated morning radio show Power 105.1s The Breakfast Club had a daily segment called Shoot Your Shot.

Although the pop cultural use of shoot your shot is most often meant to be entertaining and funny, valid questions to ask relating to this axiom are, What if we applied this shoot your shot mentality to facets of our everyday lives and what kind of impact would it have on our outcomes? If you really take a second to think about it, the sayings underlying meaning is quite profound.

You see, unless we shoot our shotwhether it is playing sports, pursuing a romantic interest, or striving to accomplish our personal goalswe will never be able to win. We will never be able to live our best lives.

What exactly does living your best life mean? Honestly, it can mean whatever you want it to. Traveling frequently; owning your own business; having a deck or a pool or a big backyard at your house; working in your desired profession; playing varsity, college, or professional sports; buying your dream car; raising a family; being at your desired weight; having your own talk show; writing your own bestselling book. Living your best life is tailored specifically to you. It is doing, being, and having whatever makes you happy.

In a sport like basketball, in order to score a player must shoot. There is no other way for you to score (at least purposely, that is) than to consciously and deliberately shoot the ball. In our lives, in order to get what we want, we must take a similar approach: Do certain things and perform certain tasks that will move us closer towards accomplishing the goals we have set for ourselves. Basically, we have to shoot our shot.

Just as sports in general can be used as a metaphor for life, the saying shoot your shot can serve as a metaphor for pursuing what you want in life.

If you couldnt tell by now, sports (particularly basketball) have had a profound impact on my life. The lessons that I learned from playing, watching, and studying the game of basketball have served as catalysts for my own life progression.

While I value education and know how important it is in regards to literacy and career progression, I have to admit that Ive learned many more applicable life lessons from my involvement in sports than I have from most school subjects or historical figures.

Quite frankly, Ive learned more about life from watching Michael Jordan will his team to victory while battling the flu or witnessing LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers come back from being down 3-1 in the 2016 NBA Finals to win the championship than I did from taking a chemistry or a social studies course. I identify more with Russell Westbrook than I do with Mark Zuckerberg. And, I am personally more inspired by Kobe Bryant than I am by Reverend Al Sharpton.

No disrespect or undermining intended, but this is my truth and I am pretty sure I am not the only one who feels this way. Which is what prompted me to write this book.

If basketball has helped me become the man I am today, Im convinced that certain principles from the court and the stories of former and current players as well as personnel can help you, the reader, too. And maybe, just maybe, you will begin to look at sports as more than just recreation and entertainment, but also as a source of motivation, inspiration, and teachable moments .

Shoot Your Shot is a combination of several of my passions and interests: basketball, writing, research, and inspiring others. This is an unconventional approach to the self-help genre, and one that has not been used before in this particular format. It is a major risk, but one thing I have learned (from basketball, of course) is that you miss all of the shots you dont take. I sincerely believe that we are never given an idea unless we have everything we need to see it all the way through.

Although the title of this book is Shoot Your Shot , there are so many factors other than shooting in basketball that help lead a team to victory and contribute to success on and off the court. I wanted to explore several of those other components in detail as well to show how they each relate to our lives and how they can help us on our own individual paths.

Shoot Your Shot is universal. Although it may appeal to a younger demographic and to sports fans, it is not age, gender, socioeconomic status, or race specific. Your background and standing are irrelevant. This book is for anyone with an open mind and an overwhelming desire to live his or her best life.

Sports are often referred to as a common thread that brings people together regardless of their age, gender, race, or socioeconomic status. My hope is that this sport-based book inspires you to go after the goals you have set for yourself and motivates you to do what is necessary to realize the life you have always envisioned.

The principles presented in this book align directly with those commonly advocated for in self-help books, Scripture, and motivational speeches. Many of which come directly from those that I have personally read, studied, and listened to on my path towards realizing the life I envisioned for myself. Thus, I am not just pulling these principles out of thin air but rather providing them to you as a result of extensive research, studying, and life experience.