Helper, Utah
December 9, 2022
Random thoughts brought me to this topic. My daughter juggling new responsibilities at her job and dealing with the debate on LBTQ+ rights. My daughter-in-law working for a prestigious law firm. My son and daughter-in-law to be dealing with an assortment of life issues -- grandfather in the hospital, planning a wedding, increasing responsibilities at work. And for all four of them, there are dozens of issues I don't know about.
I learned long ago-- but perhaps not that long ago enough -- that the best I can do is offer perspective. We each need to run the gauntlet of life but maybe in some cases it is helpful to hear thoughts from others who are further down the gauntlet?
So here we go:
Basketball and baseball are team sports. So is life. You are not meant to go this journey alone. Nor are you expected to not be human. You have a partner for a reason. And it is ok -- actually necessary -- to share your worries and successes with each other. And it is critical for you be a great teammate.
The further who go in organized basketball and baseball the faster the game gets. Same in life. In life, you need to learn to say no to those things that are not important to you and yes to those things that align with your values.
An aside. It is an enlightening experience to write down your values and then prioritize them. It requires you to get amorphous ideas out of your mind and onto paper. Not easy. Step 2 is to evaluate how your thoughts, actions and resources stack up against your values. Sometimes it can be a surprise as to the misalignment.
The best basketball and baseball players know how to use their energy. Pitchers pitch at 80 percent of their capacity in order to maintain control and to have that extra gas if they need it. Basketball players know at what points they can not exert their full potential (and that's never when playing D!). In order to be your best, you need to take care of yourself -- some days require your full capacity, other days don't. Everyday is not Game 7.
Basketball and baseball are games of skill. The best players are always practicing to get better. They also know that they can't be all things. Life is going to happen whether you participate or not. To be happy, I think it is important to realize you can practice those actions that make you better. Love, listening, supporting, volunteering, speaking up -- these are all ACTIVE verbs, not passive verbs.
That's the end of the first inning. Or it's the first TV timeout of the half. In either case, my values are telling me it is time to organize my stuff.
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