Victory From Defeat

Remember the opening of ABC’s Wide World of Sports?  Jim McKay’s iconic voice saying,  “The thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat”.   I can hear it now, and see the ski jumper crashing.

It’s an exciting time of year.  Tournament time for high schools, colleges, including March Madness on the horizon. 

Many will experience defeat at some point.  Competitors don’t, and shouldn’t, like to lose but what it can reward us with in the long run sometimes comes because of the defeat. 

Remember March 16, 2018?

A #16 seed had never beaten a #1 seed in the NCAA Basketball Tournament until that day.  The University of Maryland, Baltimore County Retrievers not only beat the overall #1 seed Virginia Cavaliers but beat them by 20 points.

In his post game press conference Virginia Coach Tony Bennett said “If you learn to use it right, the adversity, it will buy you a ticket to a place you couldn’t have gone any other way.”

Fast forward 388 days to April 8, 2019. The Cavs had squandered a 10 point lead in the final minutes and trailed Texas Tech by three.

Virginia forced overtime with 12 seconds in regulation and went on to win the NCAA championship in overtime. They used the ticket bought with adversity a season earlier.

To become all that you can be you will have to go through the darkness of defeat at times to get to the joy of victory. 

We enjoy the joys of victory but it is the tough times, the dark times, that make us stronger, better, who we really can be, and the opportunity to be better.

I’m cheering for you.

#leadership #motivation #coaching
#bebetter #beblessed

Control What You Can Control

This is one of the things I say to myself and others several times a day.  Often times more to myself than others if I’m being honest.

You can’t control what other people do, how they do it, or how they react to the world around them.

You can’t control their attitudes, actions or reactions but you can, and must, control yours.

The only two things you can control each day is your attitude and your effort.

Easier said than done sometimes, but if you can stay in control of those two things you will have the ability to remain calm in stressful situations. 

This not only helps you, but also helps those you are around and leading to remain calm as well.

A simple saying, a simple thought, but often times the most simple things can have the biggest impact when you can do them. 

Don’t make life more difficult than it needs to be.  Keep it simple.  Master the simple.

I’m cheering for you.

#leadership #motivation #coaching
#bebetter #beblessed

Trust

Trust the Process.

It’s a popular phrase, sometimes over used, and often times harder to follow through on.

You want instant.  You want it now.  You even want it yesterday sometimes.  You just can’t wait, so you miss out on the growth that can happen in you by giving up too soon.

The process of becoming better requires you to trust that things, all things, are working to help you become better and become more.

When you don’t trust the process and let it play out you settle for better when best is still out there.

When the time is right for you to step into what is for the best you will be ready. 

Don’t settle for better.  Trust the process at work in your life and get ready for the best, and you being at your best.

I’m cheering for you.

#leadership #motivation #coaching #bebetter #beblessed

Be Like A Golfer


At the start of the week I wrote about being like a caddy.  Let’s end the week with a few thoughts from the other side of the bag.  What can we learn from the golfer?  (Yes, I was watching golf again yesterday.) 

Here are a few observations:

1) Put the work in and trust the work you do.  Make it focused and the right kind of work.

There are a lot of golfers out there.  Most are recreational and very average.  Those that play professionally, and at a high level, have put in countless hours of physical and mental training. 

If you want to be good at anything you have to put the time in.  You won’t get the results you want without the work that many others won’t do. 

2) Be Confident

If you put in the work then have confidence in your talent and skills.  Not arrogant, but confident. 

You must believe in yourself to be at your best.  Others can help by believing in you, but if you do #1 above there is no reason to not believe in yourself.

3) Collaborate and Listen.

To experience success the golfer will need to talk, listen, and work with their caddy.  The best success that you can experience is when it is shared with others. 

Trusted relationships are built through communication.  Communication involves listening, which is maybe more important than talking.  Winners, and leaders, listen.

4) You will have to grind at times, but that’s where you grow.

Some golf shots, some days, are better than others.  There is a saying by those of us (me) who do not play professionally that says “if you hit that one good golf shot it will bring you back.”

Golf, like life, is sometimes more mental than physical.  There are days, on and off the course, that you have to grind it out, be creative.  Sometimes those days turn out to be better than you could even predict.  That’s because you have kept your cool and have been able to adjust, adapt, and overcome.

Growth, and being better, happen during tough times and because you embrace the daily grind, on and off of the golf course.

Be like a golfer.

Put in the work.
Be confident.
Work well with others.
Grind and grow.

Oh, and one last thing.  I believe there are no bad days spent on the golf course.  It’s always worth it, just like life.  Keep your perspective and there is always something to be grateful for.

I’m cheering for you.

#leadership #motivation #coaching #bebetter #beblessed