My last day in New York was a blessing as I got to do a bridge walk with my AWESOME friend Marc Williams. We walk over the Brooklyn Bridge just about every time I’m in New York.

Marc is also the author of the book I read today for my challenge, “Beyond Limitations: From a boy without a promise to the man I am today”. Marc had a rough childhood growing up in Brooklyn but decided go wanted to go beyond the limitations that were set in his life to do and become more.

I had already read his book but this time chapter 6 (Go beyond expectations) was calling my name.

When I read his book I tear up thinking of all the REALLY tough things he went through but then I read his story about his 10th grade math teacher who told him when he failed her class that doing his homework was only what was “expected”. He needed to go beyond if he wanted to pass. He took her advice, took her class over and passed. He never forgot the lesson she taught him and he wrote this:

“It was that lesson I learned in high school that convinced me in order to succeed in life, you cannot simply focus on not doing the wrong thing, and you cannot just focus on simply doing the right thing, which is the expected thing, you have to do beyond what is expected. We must be motivated, not only by doing the right thing, not only by doing what’s expected, but also and most importantly, by what can be gained by doing beyond what is expected.”

Holy crap! I’m never going to forget that and I vow to ask myself…am I only doing what’s expected?

While we were on the bridge walk today, I asked him what going beyond expectations meant to him. Listen to what he said…

#30dayreadingchallenge