Jesus said, “Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? (Mark 10:38)

Jesus became a notable man. His display of the miraculous and His display of His authority increased His fame throughout the land.

The two sons of Zebedee asked a question that I find many people today asking with the same ideology. They simply asked for position while failing to understand process.

People do the same today. They admire what professionals do, as they are impressed with the painting while failing to understand what was used to make such a renowned canvas.

They see 10 percent of what you do and figure they are able to do the same. They watched the 40-minute game. They listened to the 30-minute sermon. They enjoyed the tasteful meal. They
were blessed with your soulful voice and captured by your stunning performance, and they see that you are successful in your field and conclude that if you can do it, they too can do likewise.

They applaud that you were salesman of the year, and now they have their eyes set on changing their field to accomplish what you have done. They commented “Happy 25th Anniversary” on your post, and now they are quick to tie the knot. They are impressed with your end result, while failing to understand the process.

You don’t know what you’re asking for! Can you drink of this cup? Better yet, are you willing to do what top producers do to get what top producers have?

Are you willing to change the time that you wake up and start your day? Are you willing to shoot 700 three-pointers in a pre-game warm up? Are you willing to make a thousand cold calls and knock on 500 doors a week? Are you willing to endure 10 years of college and write dissertation after dissertation?

Are you willing to work for knowledge and experience, instead of working for pay? Are you willing to forgive and look stupid when everyone is saying you should’ve divorced him or never married her?

If you aren’t willing, then your best bet is to keep cheering, instead of asking to get in the game. Embrace the 9-to-5 with benefits, because entrepreneurs sleep less, and we encounter a level of stress that employees will never feel.

Forget about wanting to be the head if you are quick to defend yourself every time someone says something about you. You have to respond to every disagreement? You dislike opposition while embracing yes men?

Top producers are hated. Top producers are talked about. But top producers focus more on the why, than we do on the haters. So? Are you sure that you want to drink out of this cup? Because what’s in this cup you can’t swallow easily.

Domenick Epps is a Suffolk resident, real estate agent and youth pastor. Email him at DomenickEpps.Realtor@gmail.com.