Have you ever wondered how different your life might have been if someone had believed in you a little more?
In primary school, I was a fairly average pupil.
Then, at around 10, something changed.
I still don’t know what triggered it. Perhaps a teacher encouraged me or praised me for doing something well.
Whatever happened, I suddenly started working incredibly hard. I even learnt my times tables so thoroughly that I can still recite them today!
I passed my 11-plus examination and followed my older brother to grammar school.
Mum and Dad were incredibly proud.
During my first year, I was among the top three pupils in my class.
My future looked bright.
Then Everything Changed
Over the next few years, I was a completely different pupil.
I’d been bullied because I was tall and skinny, and I discovered that making people laugh was a wonderful way of protecting myself.
Unfortunately, the more trouble I got into, the more the bullies enjoyed it.
And the more they laughed, the worse I behaved.
Detention became my best friend.
So did the cane!
My poor mum was regularly called into school, and parents’ evenings became a nightmare.
Eventually, when it was time to enter sixth form, the headteacher told me I couldn’t stay.
Mum went to see him, hoping to change his mind.
He wouldn’t budge.
I was kicked out.
I can still picture that office, sitting beside Mum, feeling utterly humiliated.
From Grammar School to an Ice Cream Van
After leaving school, I spent a couple of years at college before drifting between jobs.
I drove lorries delivering drinks to pubs, drove an ice cream van and assembled industrial shelving in factories.
There was nothing wrong with those jobs, but I had little confidence, no direction and no idea what I wanted to do.
The boy who had once been near the top of his class seemed to have disappeared.
From around 13 to 25, I was nowhere near fulfilling my potential.
Then Basketball Changed Everything
Through those difficult years, one thing gave me purpose and belonging.
Basketball.
I became a semi-professional player and, at 25, finally turned professional.
For the first time in years, I began believing in myself again.
Unfortunately, just two years later, a slipped disc ended my playing career.
Another setback!
But this time, rather than giving up, I became the club’s Commercial Manager.
Initially, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing, but I worked hard and did well.
Three years later, Manchester Giants approached me to become their General Manager.
My confidence continued to grow.
I moved into radio sales, then advertising and marketing, eventually reaching director level.
In 2012, I established my own business.
Today, I’m an international speaker, trainer and executive coach, and the published author of two books.
Not bad for the boy who was kicked out of school!
So What Changed?
Looking back, I don’t believe my potential suddenly appeared when I turned 25.
The potential had always been there. What changed was my self-belief.
Basketball gave me confidence. Success encouraged more success. Setbacks taught me mental resilience.
Gradually, I stopped allowing my past to determine my future.
And I’ve often wondered something.
If my old headteacher were alive today, what would he think of everything I’ve achieved?
I suspect he might be rather surprised!
Perhaps he’d realise that the boy sitting in his office that day had far more potential than either of us realised.
Three Key Learnings
1. Your potential doesn’t disappear because you lose confidence.
Sometimes it simply needs the right encouragement or opportunity to reappear.
2. Setbacks don’t have to define your future.
Being kicked out of school and losing my basketball career could have stopped me. Instead, they became chapters in a much bigger story.
3. Mental resilience helps you rediscover what’s possible.
Keep learning, keep believing and keep moving forward. You may be capable of far more than you realise.
Thoughts for the Day
- Is something from your past limiting what you believe you can achieve today?
- What hidden potential might you discover if you started believing in yourself a little more?
- If you stopped worrying about failure, what would you have the courage to attempt?
One Final Thought
Maybe you’ve stopped pushing yourself, settled for less than you’re capable of, or let a past experience damage your confidence.
But remember, your potential hasn’t disappeared.
Don’t let yesterday’s setbacks steal tomorrow’s opportunities.
You might just surprise yourself.
Well, that’s it for this week.
Have a brilliant week ahead and keep believing in yourself.
Warm regards
John
Off the Wall https://tinyurl.com/3tvr892z
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