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I was going to buy my second car ever. It was a brand new 2004 Honda Accord and I was debating between two color options. I was feeling a lot of pressure from this salesman to make a decision. He went through the whole song and dance of going back to his manager to discuss whether or not they could let me get away with “such a great deal.”
I hate these kind of games, but the nice way this man treated me and the fight he was putting up for me with the “mean old boss” moved me a little. I started thinking, I can’t say no now. Once we settled on deal terms that sounded pretty good, I signed on the dotted line.
Did I get a bad deal? No. Did I bargain hard for a great deal? Not really. But I had a new Honda so, hey, it couldn’t be that bad, right? Well, I hadn’t driven 3 blocks away from the dealership and I started getting this pain in my lower back. I hadn’t played hoops that day so it couldn’t be that. The design of the driver’s side seat caused me back pain!
New Car With a Side of Butt Pad
After a week or two of this, I went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and got a butt pad for my seat. The Deluxe Seat Solution. As soon as I used it, the pain went away. But I felt like an old man and I wasn’t even 30. Every time I got my car washed or someone else got in with me, I felt the need to explain the butt pad. I needed it for back pain caused by my brand new car.
I’ve driven the Honda with this butt pad for the past 12 years. I use this example all the time to illustrate how you should make decisions. You should decide based on how comfortable you are with the potential impact of your decision on you. I responded to the pressure of this salesman and making him feel good about closing this sale, more than how much I really wanted this particular car.
The car has been good to me and then my family over the years, but while I was riding around with this butt pad, that salesman had moved on. Neither of us could probably pick the other out of a lineup, but I made this big decision based on fear of what this man may think. And I had to live with the consequences of my choice, not him.
Kevin Goes to the Warriors – Good for Him
Kevin Durant was in the same position of making a big decision at the end of last season. He’s tried for 9 years to win a championship in Oklahoma City. They’ve gotten close a couple of times, but no cigar. And when he looked up at the quickly approaching end of his career, he made the decision to do what was best for him.
Some call him selfish, cowardly, weak, not like the old school players. Maybe he his, but here’s the bottom line. When he lays down every night, the only ones Kevin will have to ultimately answer to is Kevin, his family and his Lord. The only people who he has to be at peace with are those. The rest of us aren’t a priority.
If he wants to see the confetti come down, get that big championship ring and burn his eyes with the victor’s champagne in his eyes, that’s ok. If he thinks the best path to that is with Dub Nation, that’s ok. If he wants NBA champion to go behind his name with scoring champion and League MVP, it’s not a sin.
Does that mean we can do anything to achieve a goal? No. There will be a God to answer to along with his own conscience and his actions have to be ultimately subject to those forces. He has to feel good about the impact on his family and other relationships.
There will be plenty of people who will cosign on the rantings of Stephen A. Smith about how weak of a move it was. There will also be plenty of people who will burn his jersey and wish him ill for leaving OKC. The reality is that as a leader, you have to be willing to stand up to the praises as well as the criticism of others.
Wilt the Stilt Could Have Been Even More Dominant
One of the most amazing feats in NBA history was on March 2, 1962 when Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points against the New York Knicks. That day he shot 87.5% from the free throw line, hitting 28 of 32 attempts. That is approaching the level of Steph Curry accuracy. This is even more impressive given that for his career he only shot 51% from the free throw line.
What changed that day? He shot his free throws underhanded. On the podcast, This American Life, Rick Barry discusses how he convinced Wilt to shoot underhanded for a short period of time. Rick Barry is a member of the NBA Hall of Fame and in 1996 was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. He shot 90% from the free throw line for his entire NBA career and shot all of those free throws underhanded.
Wilt was doing very well shooting underhanded and decided to stop because he was embarrassed to be seen shooting it “granny style.” Had Wilt shot 85% for his career, he would have scored over 4000 more points in his already prolific career. But even the most accomplished people in the world can be motivated by what others will think.
Fear God, Not the Opinion of Others
Don’t make your decisions in light of the opinions of others or purely on the basis of the advice of others. Don’t let fear or excessive concern of what other people think drive you. Develop a personal philosophy and moral compass and in the context of the wisdom from God and those you trust (Galatians 1:10), make a decision that you can live with and that is best for you.
When you make decisions from that solid ground, you will be much more able to withstand whatever negativity comes your way once you’ve decided. If Kevin stayed with OKC and perhaps Russell Westbrook left or they never win, he’d be riding around with the butt pad of making a choice based on what other people think. Not any of the fans, pundits, or any of us would carry that burden. Just Kevin.
Make Decision from a Position of Power
It’s the same with you. Are you riding around with a butt pad because you made a decision out of fear of what other people would say or think? What decision is it and what change do you need to make to live based on convictions and not driven by fear?
Make a commitment to develop a solid ground for making decisions and lead your life from there. Fear God and your conscience, not other people. You’ll get the blessings of success and the wisdom learned and growth earned from failure.
