Proverbs 22:29 “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean (ordinary) men.”
What sets one man’s work apart from another? I had the pleasure of hearing the legendary basketball player for the Los Angles Lakers, Magic Johnson, give leadership insights when I was a corporate VP. He shared something with us that has stuck with me ever since. He noted that he and fellow Boston Celtics legend, Larry Bird, had epic basketball battles, the likes of which we seldom see do today. He noted that this was because both he and Larry were masters of their craft…they were diligent in their pursuit of becoming the best they could be at what they did, something he noted as lacking in many today, and not just basketball players. Diligence is careful and persistent work effort. Magic’s work effort continues with him to this day; he’s an extremely successful business man. So what’s the point? Diligence pays off, and is the differentiating factor between mediocrity and excellence. Diligence elevates all that you touch. Diligence gets you noticed by the those with the power (kings) to positively and radically alter your future. With so many tools at our fingertips today, anyone can become better at whatever it is that they pursue – it just takes diligence. Don’t hang out with the ordinary, when you have the potential to be extraordinary. Be diligent!
