If you never played sports or have never been a member of a group or team that was working toward a common goal, you may not realize that there are very important life lessons that can be learned during your time as a “member” of a team, group, club or military, etc
🥎 I started playing team sports when I was really young and I think one of the first lessons I learned was that you need to get along with your teammates! lol The truth is that you’re going to have to play with, work with and eve live with family members and people who you don’t “jive” with but you have to learn to put those “differences” aside for the sake of the team. Part of being a member of a group or team comes with that responsibility, because that is a crucial aspect when striving for a common goal. It is amazing how just one person can be problematic enough to bring the rest of the group or team down. We call these problem people “cancers” because they are toxic to the rest of the team and the process. They must be dealt with or removed all together! You learn tolerance, patience, trustworthiness, how to look at things from someone else’s perspective (empathy), compassion and how not to be selfish. And if I’m not mistaken, those are also core components of GOOD CHARACTER…
🥎 If you work hard, keep your nose to the grind (especially when your competition isn’t), it’s easier to “trust in the process”, have confidence and believe in yourself, during those tough situations and help you to be successful in those “BIG MOMENTS.” I liken it to showing up for a final exam knowing you attended every single class, listened to your proffessor the entire class, took excellent notes and studied at nausium…you’re going to feel very prepared and that is confidence. That state of mind alone will ensure you have a positive outcome!
🥎When my college team would practice, we didn’t practice to “just be good” or “to be competitive”, we practiced like we were practicing to win a National Championship…and guess what??? It worked-we won the National Championship!🎉 (I know, I know, it’s not usually that simple) To be truly successful, you really need to have the mindset, conviction and dedication, not to just improve but to have a specific goal in mind and then you set smaller, more attainable goals that align you with your ultimate goal. By doing all the things necessary, you are also creating your own luck by lowering the likelihood and margin for errors. Again…Preparation is KEY!
🥎Don’t try to fight power with power. You’re inevitably going to face opponents that are much bigger, stronger and more powerful than you are. Remember, everyone or opponent in this case has a weakness. Find it and use a good strategy to out smart them and endurance to outlast them! David vs Goliath!
🥎In times of weakness or hardship, learn to lean on your teammates, fellow club members, family members or friends, AND USE THEIR “COLLECTIVE STRENGTH” AS YOUR OWN WHEN YOURS IS LOW-that is what they are there for! In life, your teammates are, your family, friends and co-workers, whether you’ve even realized it or not. YES-YOU HAVE A TEAM!!! Your team doesn’t have to consist of many people, it can just be one person. One person who can lend their strength and hope to you when yours is running low. It’s extremely difficult to ask for help, but once I finally reached out when I was really sick and getting a divorce, I found that not only were people sympathetic to my situation, but they were ready to help in any way they could! Us humans, (or ‘Yumans’, as people from my home town are called) have a tendency to think that whatever we are going through, others will neither understand nor have experience with it. Actually the opposite is true…We are all fighting battles, every single one of us and once you open yourself up and start sharing your story, others will do the same and you will find that others have much more in common with you than you ever thought! This is when real bonding happens…
🥎You have a responsibility to others…because they are depending on you. If you are feeling out of sorts, having problems, etc. and it’s not only affecting you but those around you, you have a responsibility to try to correct the problem. Whether that means seeking counseling, learning behavior modification or emotional regulation strategies, we owe it to our loved ones and those around us to be the best version of ourselves. Most of all, we owe that to ourselves…
🥎Have pride in what you do, no matter how small the task, because it matters overall and to “the big picture.” Many time we can get disenchanted with where we are in life, or careers because we feel we aren’t making a big enough difference or our contributions don’t mean much if anything. One reason we tend to have these discouraging thoughts is because we are just looking at that one part, job. or aspect all by itself. Instead, try re-framing how you look at your situation, job, etc as being a part of a larger picture, where all parts are important for the entire process to happen. Without your contributions, no matter how small, the bigger picture can’t happen or wouldn’t be the same. You are part of something bigger, you just may not realize it!
🥎Preparation is KEY…you better show up prepared! Not only should you have your “i’s” dotted and your “t’s” crossed but you had better practice doing it at nauseam, and at that point, you should probably still keep practicing!
🥎THERE. IS. ALWAYS. SOMETHING. TO. WORK. ON…
🥎IF IT’S NOT BROKEN, DON’T “FIX” IT. If your way of doing something is serving you well and is successful, don’t try to change it just because someone else comes along and tries to tell you otherwise. People like to do that stuff….come along and try to change you, something about you or what it is your doing. Many times it is just to benefit themselves in some way or to justify their position or what they do. There is always room for improvement or to make a few modifications but good lord, don’t change you or what you are doing (if you believe in it of course) just because another “thinks” you should!
🥎 IF YOU DON’T HAVE A PLAY-HOLD THE DAMN BALL! This also applies to life!