The difference is the mindset.
On the left I was scared and intimidated, I didn't' know my potential I was literally playing with fear. I thought I knew what hard work was but I didn't. Being a freshman in high school I didn't know what I wanted. My pops would often tell me I'm playing scared but I would often neglect it and lie and say I wasn't but deep down I was terrified. Basketball was always my first love but going to a technical high school in middletown Connecticut I never thought I would be playing college. Teachers would tell me people in a technical high school just don't go to college they go out and get jobs and work right away. So College was never on my mind. But being in this state of mind is very scary. Scary because you are always wanting to please everyone to like you, I was worried about what people thought of me and I would do any and everything for people to like me. I never wanted for people to dislike me. I didn't pick up the grit to my personality until later in life. You could see it in my face I had no idea what I wanted and I was scared to play basketball. Scared to let the people I love down scared to fuck up, scared to make a mistake. A lot of people are grown and still in this state of mind. They don't have to play basketball to be in this frame, it can be seen at work or in your personal lives you do anything and everything to please everyone around you but you never please yourself. Your scared to change and make leaps and bounds your scared to grow you'd rather stay In your shell and be shy to the world. You let people use you and your okay with it.
But the man on the right.. That's what saved my life and my basketball career. A lot of people don't realize this but that picture is me playing my former jucco. Coming off a year the previous year playing their I got no playing time and the coach told me I had reached my potential and because I was injured he didn't believe in me. So that summer I just became a monster, I ate Slept and trained at the gym. 5 AM everyday non stop pushing my Body to higher limits. So when I had seen my old coach I knew I had to make him eat his words. People don't understand, if you tell me I can't do something I'm going to do it and then make sure you eat every word you told me I couldn't do. That Picture is all the pain and frustration I felt during my last year in college and I couldn't be stopped.
People tend to be scared of change. I wasn't I had to make up in my mind the type of person I was going to become. I could have stayed the same in the left and kept pleasing others and have been a man that was scared of confrontations and challenges my whole life. But I knew I couldn't allow that to happen. If you want something bad enough you'll forget the opinions of others and you will go out and get it yourself. And that is what I did.
Don't be afraid of change. Be comfortable being uncomfortable.