When we got qualified for the semi-final, I believed everything I have got came out of anger. I started remembering what anger enabled me to do. I got the energy out of it, I got my frustration out, and I got my mental barrier out. Everything that I want I got out. And the best part is that I wanted more of it. The next day I went to the training court and stood in front of everyone. I was furious thinking everyone would like my way of leadership.

For me anger was anger. Everything that I ever wanted was in there. Anger gave me everything from drive, humility, and winning matches. So I tried that in NSBC. Yet it did not work. When I worked on moves, I used my anger and humility on myself to get better. Yet it was not the same in high school; I was always on edge and driving forward. Even after winning matches.

Here everyone was different. They played for the security of money, to buy things yet when it to real performance it was gone. Nothing was going to take me out. I went to my team thinking as we are winning matches it would the anger-push method worked for them as well. Yet it did not solve the problem. I instantly remembered my high school again. And the end was, our team got separated.

All that memories came right back to me. I was standing right in front of my team. Speechless! As soon as the training got over, I went to my room and started journaling everything. From my past to my current state. I wrote everything about how I felt, hurt, betrayed, frustrated, angry, and hopeless. Everything. Everything. Once it was all out I felt as if my entire mental load of emotions was out.

Finally, I realized anger does not solve anything. It makes you think like you are solving yet you are just preparing for a bigger depression. All it does is take energy away from your body once you have achieved your goal.

Life Lesson: An angry mind is a narrow mind.

Russell becomes angry with himself as the team starts to win matches…

How To Get Your Life Back In Order 2022 | Focus on What You Can Control | Episode 63

Originally published at https://dearpassion11.blogspot.com on September 4, 2022.

Angry Mind Is A Narrow Mind| Dear Passion Episode 62 was originally published in dearpassion on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The next match came along. I was playing with all my might. I was on the verge of a triple double. On the next play, we had a turnover, and I had to run back. While blocking the shot, I fall down. I didn’t recognize it back then, as I was playing my ankle swelled up. I couldn’t even put myself into the boot. It was the deciding match for us. Win or Go home. Otherwise, we need to play 8 games back-to-back to back and win all of them with 20+ points. And here I was, sitting on the bench doing nothing.

Next match first half we were doing great. We were up by 22 points until the timeout arrived. We lost our flow and dropped to 12 points down. I couldn’t sit and watch it. I went to the dressing room, got my doc told him, “Listen, I need to play for the next 20 mins. I don’t want to hear any if and buts. Prepare me now. “The doc went to the coach, they both had a discussion, and I could listen to only one thing- We need him!

It took about 15 mins for doc to prepare me, tape me and before leaving he told, “ This will cause a serious injury, if you fall on it “. I just walked away. I went in. We went from 12 points down to 36 point victory.

For next 8 games, 40+ points was on the game. Nothing could distract me. Not even her. I was taken away for 6 matches. I was desperate to prove myself.

Life Lesson: Change your life. Be the Aggressor.

Episode 61 in 15 seconds:

As Russell moves ahead thinking, aggression is the right answer, he meets

How To Use Anger To Achieve Dreams 2022 | After Effects Of Anger | Dear Passion Episode 62

Originally published at https://dearpassion11.blogspot.com on August 7, 2022.

Attitude That Changes Your Life | Dear Passion Episode 61 was originally published in dearpassion on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Get Out Of Rut In 3 Steps …No Purpose | Episode 60

As soon as Dad got a job, I got into the league. But with that came a lot of unknown issues. The challenges of how to cook, how to manage the house and all these came one after another. And the main challenge was the funding he had to collect to get into the league. Yes, it is sponsored, yet he wanted to ensure I got everything I wanted. Somehow at the league, I didn’t feel like it, I was winning matches, but I didn’t feel like it because I was missing family love.

So, at that moment, I got so much hurt & internally damaged that I didn’t have to go to or come & teach me. I did not understand my pain, I was running away from it. I was running away from love, I was also running away from being cared for. Because I felt so much pain I didn’t want anyone around me. If someone came in too close and showed too much love towards me, I immediately pushed them away. Then I took a hard look at my future and how my future would end up.

There was me with no one around me. That I would have everything in the world yet I would have no one to care for, love, and call as family. A family where I can share everything, build trust, & most vital of all — be able to give love, care, and support. A family that has an open-minded look & personality. Be open to every positive experience & then live a happy family life together.

Life lesson: Take a hard look at your current life to see your future.

Episode 60 in 15 seconds:

Originally published at https://dearpassion11.blogspot.com on July 23, 2022.

Get Out Of Rut In 3 Steps …No Purpose | Episode 60 was originally published in dearpassion on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

12 years ago, there was a family who was grateful, happy & lived as one. One day the son divided that he was old enough and now to go pro for playing basketball. He came to the house and told his parents about it. The parents laughed, “ We will have this discussion after dinner. “ Out came with the loss of energy inside his room. He was thinking of running away and playing for the pros. Up came the parents with soft feet. They came & sat beside the boy. The hopeful eyes were seeking a yes & the reserved eyes of the parents were saying, “ I need to know more. “

After the night came in the day & the day were completely different. Everything that was spoken at night silenced the day. The boy went to school & parents counted the money for going pro. By the night, the decision was still pending, and parents were speaking about it. The boy became scared to play the game. The boy dropped his plans to play anything at all and all that was left was his parents quarreling. Little did he know, he wasn’t the problem something else was.

The issue went to a point, the divorce was on the court box. The willful parents separated. From being in a family to being alone, the boy’s depression came in. The boy with his dad, while his sister went to Mom. Now, dad had no job for 3 months. Living on healthcare and support, the boy played everything on basketball. Dad got a job, and the boy came into the league.

Welcome to my world, Russell!

Life Lesson: For a child, the divorce of parents is the worst thing that could happen!

Russell stopped playing basketball on the day of semi-final without…

This Is Why You Are Not Working...No Purpose | Episode 60

Originally published at https://dearpassion11.blogspot.com on July 10, 2022.

Here’s What Divorce Does To Your Child| Dear Passion Episode 59 was originally published in dearpassion on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

League progressed further and further. We went from some winning to dominating the entire league. At that point, my frustration and anger were all coming out. We were winning that’s all that mattered to me. My belief system went from being okay to achieving anything with my anger and frustration. The trauma of the past, the divorce of my family, sister going away, all vanished whenever I stepped onto the court.

Then came Phil Andrews. The player tearing the league up. I was up against him next match. At the start of the match, I hit a jumper and twisted my ankle. I was limping. With nothing to stop Phil from taking us out, I decided to stay on the court. So I iced myself for a couple of plays & I came back in. The coach saw something, and he benched me. 1 week later, I saw the news flash, Phil got transferred- mid-season! He now plays for our Arch rivals. 2 matches later he comes out in the arena.

This time I was not going to be iced, benched, sprained, or any other things. I was ready from my body to take him down. We came head to head, body to body, shot to shot, point to point and my last bucket, he said, “ This all you got. That’s why you have no one. “ I stopped. I became a 14-year-old boy, who lost his family, friends, and everyone in the process of being successful.

All the memories came back. My mind was running in the loop of the same memory. As if someone has put a video and set it on repeat. I couldn’t come back. My body was playing, my mind was back with my family.

Lesson: Don’t run away from your memories. Sooner or later you have to deal with it!

Family is the most important thing for Russell, yet for some reason he refuse…

Here's what divorce does to children | Dear Passion Episode 59

Originally published at https://dearpassion11.blogspot.com on June 26, 2022.

Having a bad memory? Solve it using this life lesson | Dear Passion Episode 58 was originally published in dearpassion on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

As the matches went on, my focus was completely on my goals. NO one, Nothing can shake me out of my goals and purpose. The goal is to win a championship and I am going to win it. Come hell or high water. I am going to do it. My belief got stronger as I went on winning back-to-back games. During practice, my mind again was running in loops. It came out with multiple thoughts. 12 years ago, my team and I were faced with the same situation. The coach came down to me and said, “ I was playing the ball too much and others were not getting any chance to play the ball. “

I was benched for the next 2 matches and then I said to myself, “ How can I play when I want the ball? “ This was the question I wondered now, “ How can play when I don’t have the ball? “ And so I went back to my answers- The videos.

The videos showed me my moves, and why I was getting more ball touches. I was in doubt whether this method would work after 12th years later and then I realized, that Dad won his championship this way. So I say by the videos, noted every touch, every movement of opposition, and then 2 matches later, it paid off. I was shooting 90% of the time on yet no one complained. And this my belief even
stronger.

The belief that focuses on the purpose, everything else will fall in its place.

Life Lesson- Never fold under pressure.

As tournament moves ahead, Russell starts to think what can be los..

Having a bad memory? Solve it using this life lesson | Dear Passion Episode 58

Originally published at https://dearpassion11.blogspot.com on June 12, 2022.

Pressure- What Is The Solution?| Dear Passion Episode 57 was originally published in dearpassion on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

As the environment went I was ready with my game plan. I needed something to get me going and after that, it was just havoc. I was ready for the next matches. I did start it yet after some time I was thinking what is the goal? After winning 4 straight games, I became aware of myself.

I was completely undisciplined and I was out of my focus. Came to the hotel and thought to myself why was doing something else? I lost my questions before writing them down. Yet I found the belief that I must completely focus on my goals otherwise I will never become a basketball player.

Doing anything other than that is me keeping myself away from reaching my full potential. So I must only focus on my goals. This also got me my father’s pattern that who won many using this method.

So I just have to use this method to move towards success.

Life Lesson: Be ready to sacrifice everything for your goal.

Originally published at https://dearpassion11.blogspot.com on June 5, 2022.

Pressure… it was one thing to use pressure to get to next level, however, tod…

Here's what you can do under high pressure | Dear Passion Episode 57

Are You Willing To Do This? | Sacrifice | Dear Passion Episode 56 was originally published in dearpassion on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

It was clear to me that I had to train but I was not getting any clarity on how to improvise. But I kept winning matches that were more dangerous to me because I did not know what I did right. Then I saw her… again. This time I went to her & spoke friendly. When I came to practice I was able to think straight. As a result, I messed up my pull-up and twisted my ankle. The next 3 matches were straight on the bench.

This got me thinking and reflecting. I went to my hotel, I was frustrated with myself, because, I was unable to think clearly. I then started writing everything down. I single-mindedly kept asking myself only one question, “ Why did I lose my spot?” Why am I unable to play at my absolute best? Did I come all the way here just to come till here? Did I come here to sit & chat with someone? What is my end goal of being here?

I came to the realization that I had done something new. Something that I had experienced for the first time. Meeting Zen. So the next time, I made a rule to myself, “ I will only meet her when I achieve something. If there is no achievement, there is no meeting, no talking, no going out. Just a plain cold workout. Period. “

Life Lesson: Part of growing up is making your own decisions and living up to their results.

On Episode 56, NSBC Championship began and Russell was ready to giv…

Sacrifice Everything For You Goals! | Dear Passion Episode 56

Originally published at https://dearpassion11.blogspot.com on May 22, 2022.

How To Use Writing To Bring Clarity To Mind [ With Example ] | Dear Passion Episode 55 was originally published in dearpassion on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I was in my training, with my mates as it was my first year in NSBC. Everything was new, I was doing the dribbling and my drills as our Coach Frank said. After some days I was allowed to play with team players, When I started playing the team, man, they were tough. So when I missed a shot or went to dunk I was hit with an elbow, a palm right on my face, trash-talking, and many more things happened. My name Russell was teased.

Every night I was figuring out ways to get better both in the game and how with my teammates. I tried a bunch of methods of performing better in training, staying more hours, asking the coach, studying more hours, and studying other teams, but none of them worked. Finally, I went to them and stood up to them as they were teasing, I said some witty things, something that gave me the idea of- I must not tease him again. This particular idea I got from navy SEALS. I was listening to their YouTube videos and they said, “ Never let any treat you badly. No one. Never. Ever. “ That time I wrote down that sentence and from that moment, no one was bullying, no one was teasing and I was respected from that day. I did the same thing the everyday till 1 month and the universe was giving the signal that I must become more than what I am now.

Life Lessons: Be very careful about what you tolerate. You are teaching people how to treat you.

Russel was out of mind thinking about the game everyday such that it …

How To Use Writing To Bring Clarity To Mind [ With Example ] | Dear Passion Episode 55

Originally published at https://dearpassion11.blogspot.com on April 17, 2022.

How to command respect from your team? | Navy SEALS | Episode 54 was originally published in dearpassion on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I was driving back to the court around 04:45 am and needed something to get my energy up. I arrived at a drive-through and got an energy bar. I was sitting and collecting my thoughts and planning. It is at that moment I saw her. She was going to shop and for the first time, I was not able to avoid a woman. Until now I was able to avoid a woman from me and my thoughts. It took me 5 to 7 minutes to get my game together with all the planning, and the next step.

Came to the court and practice started. I saw the video and learned that I am not in sync with my team. My team and I were doing different things. They were running 2 man offense and I was inside the paint which was not right. I sat down & thought about what caused me to go out of sync. I realized that I was practicing alone too much and needed to be with my team. Once I understood that down. It was around 2 pm, I was out for lunch and I saw her again.

At the end of the day I thought to myself, if I saw her again today then, I will go talk to her.

Lesson: Universe has its own magic.

As the universe continued it’s magic Russell begin to lose his spot in the t…

How to command respect from your team? | Navy SEALS | Episode 54

Originally published at https://dearpassion11.blogspot.com on April 9, 2022.

Universe will get you what you want at the right time | Believe | Dear Passion Episode 53 was originally published in dearpassion on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.