Letter to My Younger Self: Ray Allenby Parker on TwosSometimes you’ll be afraid. Sometimes you’ll think you’re out of your league. But you’ll keep showing up every day, putting in the workThe secret is there is no secret. It’s just boring old habitsIt’s not about talk. It’s getting in your work every single day, when nobody is watchingyou’ll realize after you win the first title is that the thrill is fleeting. The vindication is fleeting. If you only chase that high, you’re going to end up very depressed. The championships are almost secondary to the feeling you’ll get from waking up every morning and putting in the work. The championships are like when you were sitting in class at UConn with your shirt and tie on. They’re just the culminationLife is about the journey, not the destination. And that journey will change you as a personBut in order to achieve your dreams, you will become a different kind of person. You’ll become a bit obsessive about your routine. This will come at a heavy cost to some of your friends and family. Most nights, you won’t go out. Your friends will ask why. You won’t drink alcohol, ever. People will look at you funny. When you get to the NBA, you won’t always play cards with the boys. Some people will assume you’re not being a good teammate. You’ll even have to put your family on the back-burner for your job. Most of the time, you will be alone. That won’t make you the most popular person. Some people simply won’t understand. Is the cost worth it? Only you can answer thatEvery day for the rest of your life, you’ll have to choose. Do you want to fit in, or do you want to embark on the lonely pursuit of greatness?Go to the court. Stay at the court. Get your work in, young fellaMost people will never really get to know the real you. But they’ll know your work