Life is about challenging ourselves today in a way we never thought possible yesterday. It’s about setting goals that scare us. Some people are ok with minor improvements throughout their lives and honestly, there is nothing wrong with that. Some people are more comfortable living in the shadows and blending in with the crowd – but that’s not me.
Put me smack in the middle of the spotlight. My flaws and all. Put the pressure on my shoulders because that is when I thrive. That doesn’t mean I won’t make mistakes. In fact, I probably make even more knowing that the pressure lies on me. But that also means I have more opportunities to learn and grow.
For those of you who are baseball fans you know that a .300 batting average is exceptional in the MLB. A career .300 batting average could be the golden ticket straight to the Hall of Fame. For those of you who aren’t fans, batting .300 means that 3/10 times you step up to the plate you get a hit. Not a home run or even a double – just a hit. That’s it. 3 out of every 10. Not even in a row or every game. An average of 30% OVER A LIFETIME. Which also means 7/10 times you fail and somehow make it to the Hall of Fame.
How could that be? How could three for ten make someone so special when our society makes us think we need to be perfect? When the media tells us that we can’t have flaws or differences in opinion. Our world makes us think that setbacks mean game over when I believe the opposite. My answer is simple. Because 3/10 means you tried 10 times despite not being perfect. At some point along that path you decided to keep going back to the plate for another chance and to learn from each time you failed. After failing you went back for more. That if what life is all about. That is Hall of Fame status. Giving more. Trying harder. Getting stronger. Fighting back. Each time. Every time. Even when we fall short. Getting back up until you accomplish everything you have ever dreamed of and then some. Maybe just one of the 3/10 “hits” was the game winner that shook the world or made your dreams reality. Maybe the difference between living your dreams and watching them slip away was getting back up after your struck out. Adjusting you swing and trying again.
Failure is more valuable than we will ever know. More valuable than the biggest diamonds or the brightest gold. It gives us the opportunity to choose. Do we learn from it and grow or do we let it crush us? Do we step back up to the plate for another chance or do we watch life pass us by in the fear of failure? That is why I love the spotlight because it means someone is watching the choices I make. It means someone watched me fail and get back up to try again. It means even if I hit a home run they watched me go back to the plate to try again in the pursuit of better. I live my life to be someones hero. Hoping someones watching the steps I take with the intention to follow them. Mistakes and all. I hope someone chases me the way I chase my hero’s. Being a hero doesn’t mean we are perfect it just means we can’t be stopped in pursuit of our own personal happiness. We get back up each time we fall.
If three out of ten puts us in the Hall of Fame where does one out of ten put us? It only takes one hit to change the direction of our lives. It takes one hit to light our souls in fire. Live life, love life and be passionate. Step into the spotlight my friends…it’s glorious.
Wow! I loved this post. The analogy was so good. Keep sharing Tim!!