By Superintendent Philip Pempin
I
recently read a 2015 article entitled “How Athletes Inspire Us to Follow Our
Dreams” by Mandy Antoniacci. This is an
excellent message that I would like to share, with some paraphrased experiences
of my own included.
“Everyone
always says, “Follow your dreams!” But
not everyone does it. Channel the
passion of those who do and make a career out of playing a game.”
While
many of us won’t ever be able to dunk from a free-throw line or achieve
LeBron’s trademark of chasing a down an opponent at full speed and rising up
above the rim to block a shot, being “WITNESS” to such actions ignites a fire
inside us. It opens our eyes a wide as a
child, and invites the roar of the crowd into our hearts as fuel for our own
personal dreams.
I
“witnessed” this first hand when I took my granddaughter and grandson to the
Indians game on Father’s Day weekend.
Their anticipation was heightened before we even stepped foot into the
stadium. They were waiting impatiently for
me, in full Indians garb, as I pulled into the driveway. When we walked into the ballpark and started
to see the lights and hear the crowd, pure magic occurred. As the team, in pursuit of their dreams, took
the field, I felt nearer to the age of the children. Their faces, my feelings and the dreams of
the players inspired me.
The
article continues: “As everyday people,
we may not share the likeness of an athlete’s physical prowess, but we can
certainly relate to their passion and learn from their pursuance to follow
their dreams. Here’s how they do it …
They
defy odds. Whether it’s a modest upbringing, a
career-threatening injury, or a classic underdog scenario, athletes are out to
prove skeptics wrong. Fueled by
non-believers, they possess the ability to overcome adversity like no
other. Where others see fear, they see
symbolism of what they want and go for it.”
LeBron and his teammates sure demonstrated this to Golden State!
“They
sacrifice. Being an athlete is a
lifestyle that consumes every aspect of your life – your free time, your body
and for some early on, your collegiate experience as a kid. In Kobe Bryant’s recent documentary “Muse”,
he discusses the epitome of sacrifice when asked about “greatness”. He said, ‘If you want to be great at
something, there’s a choice you have to make.
We all can be masters at our craft, but you have to make a choice. What I mean by that is, there are inherent
sacrifices that come along with that.
Family time, hanging out with friends, being a great friend, being a
great son, nephew, whatever the case may be.
There are sacrifices that come along with making that decision.’
They
have one option. One of my favorite quotes by legendary
football Coach Vince Lombardi is, ‘If it doesn’t matter who wins or loses, then
why do we keep score?’ This sentiment
encapsulates the game of life for an athlete.
They are so dedicated to making their dream of winning a reality that
they banish any possibility of a backup plan from their mind. Thoughts like, ‘If it doesn’t work, I’ll try
something else’, etc. simply don’t exist.
Monomaniacal focus on a single goal is the ultimate success stratagem;
and a pattern found in everyone from Edison to Einstein and Manning to Mantle. If you want the power to follow your dreams,
you must say no to all the alternatives.
They
see life as a game. Let’s face it, at its core, every sport is a
game. And if athletes are lucky enough,
they get paid to play. Having this
vision and approach to life opens up space for playfulness and creativity, and
eliminates limitation. A gamification
approach to life also cultivates qualities of resilience, and confidence and an
appetite for risk – critical for advancement.
As
you ponder your own dreams in your career and in life, use this time to create
your own wake-up call, and channel the fire of the inner athlete (and
six-year-old) that exists inside us all.
While your personal game of life awaits, remember … the best dreams
happen, when you’re awake.”
