Awaken The Jordan Within - Part 1This is the online version of my ebook Awaken The Jordan Within Copyright © Trajko Dangov, all rights reserved. No part of this e-book, in part or in full, may be reproduced, redistributed, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or sold in any way without a written permission by the publisher. * * * I want to personally congratulate you on making this important decision. The fact that you decided to get your hands on this e-book puts you in the top 1% of basketball players who know what it really takes to have a powerful mindset. And I sincerely wanna thank you, for giving me the opportunity to prove to you, that there is a Michael Jordan in every one of us. I love doing this, it’s what I’m. I don’t want our relationship to end as soon as you finish reading these pages. Feel free to ask me just about anything at any time. You have a critic for this e-book? Let me know. Your feedback is appreciated. You wanna comment on something? Don’t hesitate to shoot me an email at any time.  Enjoy! Warmest Regards, Trajko Dangov
You’re The One
I've been studying success in basketball and success in life. That's me. That's something I'm passionate about. And I've looked at the same patterns that happen with guys who turn pros and pros who become legends. Basketball legends. People who inspire us.  What is this book about? You know it. It's not about Michael Jordan or anyone else. It's about YOU. There are things that you can do that you're not doing. Think of them as small changes that will get you on the right track. The "Michael Jordan" thing is just a metaphor to let you know that there's a beast inside of you that you don’t know how to provoke. I’m gonna start throwing ideas at you that will get you in alignment with whatever your purpose with basketball is. This stuff here will start moving every single part of you towards your ultimate goal. Okay, sounds good? Alright… Do you know what "leverage" means? In basketball terms it's when something bad happens to you and you have to change. You just have to. Things like, one of your old teammates gets to play full time and you're glued to the bench. And you know you're better than he is. But maybe he's got these little things about him that make him special. Maybe you think it's all full of B.S. but who knows right? Or maybe, you've had an experience that really hurt you deep inside. This is the part when I'm gonna ask you to tell me… What's your leverage? Just think about that for a second. First, let me walk you through my true story here. And to get you sorta on the right path of what we’re doing here. "I'm a big believer in dreaming. If you don't dream it you can become it" – Magic Johnson My Story
Okay, I'm from Macedonia - "Google" that country if you've never heard of it:) To me, I was coming from a mindset that it was "the holy grail" or nothing. I wanted to play in the NBA. It meant the world to me. So I went, okay. I'm gonna give my all. And I'm gonna make this happen, cuz I had a plan. Sadly, I had very little education about how to train effectively so I went extreme. Here's some of the things that I remember, at the top of my head that I was doing for 2 years in order to get my body prepared for the goal I was shooting for… 1000 squats in a set. No stopping. Full throttle. I did probably about 5 or 6 sets of them without stopping in a one month period. Then 1000 dunks in a row in about 2 hours (I have a small backyard basketball court with a lowered basket – probably 9 feet). Running for 2 hours without stopping. Running the stairs up and down, 100 times for 30 minutes. 1000 reps of the basic ab exercise without stopping in about hour and a half. And I did 3 sets of these. 1000 blast offs (jumping as high as I can by bringing my knees to my chest – helped me a lot with my vertical leap) in about 2 hours with 50 reps in a set and about 5 minutes rest between sets. I remember once I made a commitment to run for half an hour everyday and do 100 push ups after that for a month. And one time I did it at 05:00 a.m. Did this help? Ahem, I think I trained my brain to endure unbelievable pain and keep going once I set my mind to it. Probably if I trained smarter and not practicing like a maniac, I may have had better results. Point being, I was motivated as hell. I was ready for anything. How could I get drafted for the NBA? I figured getting a scholarship. Going to America and killing myself everyday so that scouts will hopefully notice my desire and of course, my skills. This scholarship was given to sophomore students (I needed this scholarship so I can go to America). For two years, I'll be settled in a family and continue my education there. And in case I'm really good at anything, they'll offer me a chance to stay there. That was my plan. That was my huge, bold, arrogant plan. But the thing is, I didn't get past the scholarship. I did not manage that. It ruined me because the program I was getting prepared for, for 2 years had turned out to be canceled. It's the most nasty feeling in your stomach you could imagine. And I felt as if my destiny was changed. The funny thing is, I'm so grateful that that happened. So grateful. Because that made me a MAN and prepared me, for the upcoming ugly stuff that's bound to happen over the course of my life. It's like, if I can take that, there's lot more I can take and I'm gonna be okay with that. It's almost as if, I’m proud of that. I would not trade a minute of all my struggles in my life because the tough times make you what you are. Did I quit? Hell no. I just chose a different path. Basketball is what I absolutely LOVE but I would not settle for playing in some lame-ass league in my country. I was thinking big. The principles I learned from that experience are helping me immensely in other areas of my life right now. The principles that I’m about to throw at you that will hit you so hard, that you’ll never think of going back to your old-self and accepting “being average”. What was my leverage? The NBA! There was nothing else in my mind. Not a single other option. Up until that point where I was told the whole program was canceled I had tremendous desire. I discovered myself through that process. After that, I kinda lost my drive. I lost what I was so strongly believing in. It’s weird how many things turned out for the better in my life after that experience. In areas that I found fulfilling beyond basketball (though I love to share what I know on the internet). But as I said, this book is about you, so… What’s Your Leverage?
Do you have a dream? Why are you (or aren’t you) focusing so hard on basketball? Do you have a purpose in why you’re doing this? How would that make you feel after you achieve what you want? Clearly define it because clarity is power. Some NBA stars wanted to stay out of trouble. To get off the streets. Others just wanted to make money and it worked for them. Others purely loved the game more than anything else. Air Jordan comes to mind. This is harsh, okay? You have to pave your way with sweat and tears to get to the next level. And than, pave it some more. And more. And then you realize, you’ll get there. You’ll really get there. Just think about it, what’s your leverage. Don’t just continue reading. This is interactive activity. You’re involved. Get a piece of paper and jot down everything that comes to mind. If it’s one thing, cool. Write it down. But make sure it’s specific, clear and it really excites you. I want you to really think about this. For me, it was the NBA. For you, maybe it’s fame, money, taking care of your body, having the life style that you know you deserve. Go crazy with this. Write 10 things if you can. The more the merrier. You got them down? Nice! "Many athletes have tremendous God-given gifts, but they don't focus on the development of those gifts. Who are these individuals? You've never heard of them-- and you never will. It's true in sports and it's true everywhere in life. Hard work is the difference. Very hard work." - John Wooden The “Magic Pill”
After reading so many biographies on the famous NBA legends, it’s a no-brainer to figure out that they all share some common things. Clarity, focus, discipline, dedication are some qualities to get started. You may lack the motivation. LeBron James, Larry Bird, Pete Maravich, Magic Johnson, MichaelJordan, Allen Iverson, Julius Erving all had the motivation. They were inspired. But they didn’t think it was gonna be easy. That’s what marketing wants us to think. We’re socially conditioned that we can buy these cool products like the DVD set on better shooting, the “jump shoes” with some fancy name on them, or this new “revolutionized” machine that can get you in shape by exercising 10 minutes a day. You think these guys everbelieved in the “magic pill” society that we live in? Do you think they ever thought their path was going to be easy? It’s as if, we really tend to believe that we can take that new underground product, or hell even steroids and we can be ahead of the curve and have the edge and all that ridiculous hype. It’s the same thing in my country and it’s the same in yours. How do I know? We’re all the same, no matter where we live in. Because we all want instant gratification. Nobody wants to know they have to walk the 10.000 miles road only to discover that there might be another one like that. Sure, if marketing sells something like that, nobody would buy it. Some players like to brag about how special they are and how easy it all came to them because they were gifted. They hide the fact that they’ve trained harder than ever. They wanna be thought of as talents. Things like slow, steady, focused and committed work in order to make small improvements everyday, are so outside people’s realities. Julius “Dr.J” Erving once said that after he got famous, many people were saying things like: “That man is so lucky. He must not know how we, as “average men” feel like. He’s so lucky that he’s special.” Well, Dr.J put it very nicely when he said that the people only see the end result. They don’t look at all the hours of hard work you’ve invested. "It feels great to have my hard work pay off, especially when the fans made it hard for me." Steve Nash More Than Just A Game
If you’re into basketball and all that and you wanna have fun, that is great. I think that is awesome, awesome, awesome. But actually hoping for something big is not gonna do it. I mean, if you don’t LOVE this game, if it’s not a passion or something that excites you, you might as well forget it. If you’re not in that mindset, it will be a struggle for you. A big, fat, ugly struggle that you may get addicted to. The fact that you’re reading this book tells me that you’re thinking big. You have big dreams man. You’re going in for the kill and you are ready for challenges. When you find yourself not being inspired you need to consciously take charge, “grab the wheel” and start improving. Stick to something. Have a plan of how much you’re gonna exercise. Is it 5 days a week, 6 or maybe 7? Have a vision of where you’re going with this. Why you’re doing it. Always improve and play against better players. Pump yourself up everyday. Listen to songs that get you emotionally driven to go out there and kick some ass. You know you’re special. Set goals and be specific. Be patient. You can work on your shooting for 2 weeks then move on to dribbling. Then the vertical leap. Then shoot some more. Whatever it is. Whatever your goal is. Don’t just put yourself on “autopilot” everyday and hope that things will fix themselves. They won’t because you’re in charge. This is about you. "You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days you feel good." - Jerry West
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