Do you believe that adversity and challenge mold your character in order to drive your future success?

Did anyone ever tell you that success would be easy or that it would come without your fair share of adversity?

Where you are right now is not a reflection of where your story will finish.

Allow me to share the improbable journey of a janitor named Sam who is now living his best life possible, doing what he loves to do every single day and proving that dreams become a reality when you never stop believing. He’s living proof that your mentality determines your reality.

From a young age, Sam always dreamed of being involved in the game of basketball. He was inspired by NBA players like Kobe Bryant, who kept raising the bar and crushing records. Once a janitor, Sam now works for the top NBA skills coach, traveling around the country to film NBA players and even train NBA and collegiate players himself.

When is the last time you spent time on your vision and wrote down your goals? After reading this article, spend 30 minutes away from your phone and other distractions and write out your vision, then identify daily action steps to get you there.

Sam’s focus on his lofty goals at a young age was misconstrued by his small-town peers as outlandish and egotistical. He often felt like an outcast. But in reality, he was just motivated to become great.

His drive and hard work enabled him to play collegiate level soccer. But one day, Sam got injured and was physically unable to keep up with the game. He was forced to move back in with his parents and take a job as a janitor. Day after day of picking up trash and cleaning toilets in his hometown made him feel like a failure.