Hey,
I wanted to share something with you that’s been on my mind, because it might shift how you see yourself and what you’re capable of becoming.
I was thinking about Giannis Antetokounmpo the other day. Not the MVP. Not the superstar everyone knows now. I was thinking about the version of him most people forget.
The kid who had every reason not to make it.
He grew up selling things on the street just to help his family get by. He didn’t have proper shoes. He didn’t always have food. There was no clear path forward, no guarantees, no comfort. Everything about his situation said he should stay where he was.
But that’s not what happened.
Giannis didn’t rise because he had advantages.
He rose because he decided his disadvantages weren’t going to decide his future.
He learned to turn what felt unfair into fuel.
He learned to use pressure instead of running from it.
He learned to grow from what other people would have broken under.
And that’s why his story hits differently.
It shows that greatness is rarely built in ideal conditions.
It’s built in the messy ones.
The uncomfortable ones.
The ones you wouldn’t choose but end up shaping you anyway.
A lot of people think they need the right equipment, the right timing, the right encouragement, the right environment before they start becoming who they want to be.
But Giannis didn’t have any of that.
He just started.
Exactly where he was.
With exactly what he had.
And he kept going long enough for the work to change him.
There’s something powerful in that.
Because it means you’re not behind.
You’re not missing something.
You’re not too late or too limited.
You’re being shaped.
The things that feel heavy right now might actually be the things that are making you stronger. The things that feel unfair might end up becoming the advantage that sets you apart. The struggle you’re dealing with might be the exact reason you become someone people look up to one day.
You don’t need perfect conditions to grow.
You just need the willingness to keep moving in imperfect ones.
That’s what Giannis did.
And look what it became.
I thought you might need that reminder today.
I know I did.
Talk soon,
Dylan