What Michael Jordan realised was that basketball was where he could have the impact he desired, set benchmarks, become a legend and inspire future generations. He would have wasted his stratospheric abilities had he continued trying to be a success in baseball, a dream which was all but impossible.
In 1993, Michael Jordan was on top of the world. After 4 unsuccessful attempts in the finals, he had led the Chicago Bulls to not one but three consecutive championships.
At the peak of his career, life struck a cruel blow. His father was murdered and the fame seemed to stifle him. He was also accused of gambling and was under investigation for it. It all just seemed too much and at the height of his prowess, his Airness as he was fondly called, shocked the world by retiring from basketball.
His next move was unusual — he went to try his luck in minor league baseball. His late father apparently harboured a desire that his son plays baseball and Jordan wanted to honour his wishes. He tried his hand at minor league baseball hoping that he would one day make it to the major leagues. After a point, it became apparent that he couldn’t translate his basketball greatness to baseball.
Eventually, after a 21-month hiatus from the sport, Michael Jordan stunned the world again by announcing he would return to basketball. What was even more incredible was that he came back and led the Chicago Bulls to their second three-peat in the 90s.
In this old grainy video that captures the news of his comeback, the newscaster says something very interesting regarding Jordan returning to the game that made him famous. He describes the moment as ‘an artist returning to his true canvas.’
What Michael Jordan realised was that basketball was where he could have the impact he desired, set benchmarks, become a legend and inspire future generations. He would have wasted his stratospheric abilities had he continued trying to be a success in baseball, a dream which was all but impossible.
Returning to our canvas applies to all of us in some sense. Here, canvas refers to anything that brings out the best of our abilities and allows us to have the impact that we are seeking. A tremendous amount of frustration accrues when we are unable to have the impact that we want. We have experienced this ourselves and seen others go through it. We have seen people change the canvas they’re painting on and experiencing success and happiness that seemed to elude them previously.
It isn’t that Michael Jordan didn’t try to be good at baseball. In fact, he carried forward his monstrous work ethic to baseball as well. But he was forced to come to terms with the fact that he would never be above average in baseball, however hard he tried. People sometimes confuse walking away to giving up. No one called Jordan a failure for not succeeding in baseball. In fact, they were overjoyed that he realized that his potential could be fulfilled in basketball. A little more effort can help you get better and cross the finish line, provided you are plying your art on the right canvas.
Sometimes, changing your canvas is far more effective than trying very hard to have an impact where you the odds of you succeeding are stacked against you.
