The Winning Season
I'll never forget that year the basketball team had high hopes of a great season. We finally felt we had a mature group of players, a deep bench, and a very disciplined coach. The hype for the opening game was infectious. Everyone was ready to see this team soar to new heights. I vividly recall the gym being packed and the crowd raucous as they chanted and cheered for their Purple Pride to take the court. The mood changed rather quickly as it became obvious that something was missing from the teams playbook. The players were lethargic and lacked much enthusiasm for winning. Needless to say the Pride lost the game by 18 points.
Over the next few days players were blaming each other, the coach blamed the referee's as well as his assistance's. The scene didn't change over the next three games. The crowd's died down, the few fans that were left did more complaining than they did cheering. The players seemed like they could careless about even playing much less winning, and the coach, well he had a new excuse for each loss. With an 0-4 start to what was supposed to be a break out season the school made the decision to fire the coach. With the interim coach, a wonderful young man, that understood the psychology of the game, the administration hoped he could hold it in the road for a few weeks until a replacement was found.
At the next game, the new coach's first, something interesting was in the air. The players had a sparkle in their eyes that hadn't been seen during the first four games. They were high fiving, running their warm up drills with extreme focus, and when the coach gathered them up for the pre-game pep talk you could tell something special was about to happen. The game was close, heck it was back and forth, but when the final bell sounded The Purple Pride had a victory in the books. The crowd went wild, the players were in tears, and the coach was making sure that each player, even the bench got equal credit for making this a night to remember.
To finish the story, let me tell you this. The new coach had the exact same players as the old coach. They played in the same building, used the same dressing rooms, and had the same uniforms. All the coach had that was different was a desire to convey to his team that he believed in them and that through hard work, surrounding yourself with people that care and share your passion for life that you can literally do anything. That team won their final 12 games, their only loss that year after the coach change was the state finals. The next season the team went undefeated as well as becoming the state champions. Yes you guessed the interim coach became the permanent one.
If we used this true story as a metaphor for your life, what would you see. Like the players that lost the first four games, they had what it took to win all along, but they lacked the ability to get out of themselves what was inside. They became so attuned to blaming others, making excuses, shunning responsibility, that they had nothing left in them that gave them the belief that they could make a difference. What about you? Do you waste precious time blaming others for your plight in life? When things are not going as you planned is there always an excuse as to why? Do you find yourself in the misery loves company circles? You may even be the person that perpetuates pity parties in the hopes that you can keep others down with you. If misery loves company you need a crowd around you so you can always have a fresh batch of excuses as to why you aren't living up to your God given potential. It is never others holding you back, it always starts with you. If you constantly have a victim mentality or you validate others victim mentality, you have no chance at winning in your game of life.
Like The Purple Pride, you too have everything you need, right now, to get your life on a winning track. It is time to elevate your game, but you can't do it with the same thinking that caused you to lose in the first place. I need you to look in the mirror and take a good long look at the one person that is 100% responsible for changing your life. Then look close at your sphere of influence. There are people in your circle that are there for a reason, season, or lifetime. The key is to identify their role. The one's you thought were lifers may in fact be there for a simple reason. It's easy to miss the lesson that others have for you when you miss why they are in your life. God doesn't give us the people we want, he gives us the people we need, it is up to us to understand that. When we learn that LOVE is our playbook, we begin to see the world in a new and exciting way.
Find the wisdom and the grace from each person that enters your life. Always remembering that everyone you meet knows something you don't. Find the good, gleam the lesson, and win the game. As you learn how to play and win in this game of life never forget that your new attitude lifts others up not pushes them down. As our game improves it becomes imperative that we share our new enthusiasm for living with others that are working to find their game. You have what it takes, just like The Pride, you are already a winner, you just allowed yourself to step into losing ways. Just because you lost a few games doesn't mean the season is a total loss. It can all change right here, right now.
God has a blessing with your name all over it. It is time to live your passion and let that bring out a newfound purpose that will start your mind to dreaming once again. You got this, you really do. Stop clinging to losing ways. Build your team, be your own life coach. It doesn't take money, it doesn't take fame, no need to wait for better weather, improved health, a new administration, or the cows to come home. This is your life, live it like you love it. You weren't created to lose and you didn't wake up today just to be average. God loved you enough to breath life into you, love yourself enough to get back in the game and win.
One last thought, there will always be setbacks, disappointments, and losses. We have feelings and emotions that guide our heart and mind. I urge you keep this quote close at all times or winning will always remain elusive.
"A moment of patience, in a moment of anger, can safe a lifetime of regret". Winners focus on winning while losers focus on winners.
God Bless
Dale
Over the next few days players were blaming each other, the coach blamed the referee's as well as his assistance's. The scene didn't change over the next three games. The crowd's died down, the few fans that were left did more complaining than they did cheering. The players seemed like they could careless about even playing much less winning, and the coach, well he had a new excuse for each loss. With an 0-4 start to what was supposed to be a break out season the school made the decision to fire the coach. With the interim coach, a wonderful young man, that understood the psychology of the game, the administration hoped he could hold it in the road for a few weeks until a replacement was found.
At the next game, the new coach's first, something interesting was in the air. The players had a sparkle in their eyes that hadn't been seen during the first four games. They were high fiving, running their warm up drills with extreme focus, and when the coach gathered them up for the pre-game pep talk you could tell something special was about to happen. The game was close, heck it was back and forth, but when the final bell sounded The Purple Pride had a victory in the books. The crowd went wild, the players were in tears, and the coach was making sure that each player, even the bench got equal credit for making this a night to remember.
To finish the story, let me tell you this. The new coach had the exact same players as the old coach. They played in the same building, used the same dressing rooms, and had the same uniforms. All the coach had that was different was a desire to convey to his team that he believed in them and that through hard work, surrounding yourself with people that care and share your passion for life that you can literally do anything. That team won their final 12 games, their only loss that year after the coach change was the state finals. The next season the team went undefeated as well as becoming the state champions. Yes you guessed the interim coach became the permanent one.
If we used this true story as a metaphor for your life, what would you see. Like the players that lost the first four games, they had what it took to win all along, but they lacked the ability to get out of themselves what was inside. They became so attuned to blaming others, making excuses, shunning responsibility, that they had nothing left in them that gave them the belief that they could make a difference. What about you? Do you waste precious time blaming others for your plight in life? When things are not going as you planned is there always an excuse as to why? Do you find yourself in the misery loves company circles? You may even be the person that perpetuates pity parties in the hopes that you can keep others down with you. If misery loves company you need a crowd around you so you can always have a fresh batch of excuses as to why you aren't living up to your God given potential. It is never others holding you back, it always starts with you. If you constantly have a victim mentality or you validate others victim mentality, you have no chance at winning in your game of life.
Like The Purple Pride, you too have everything you need, right now, to get your life on a winning track. It is time to elevate your game, but you can't do it with the same thinking that caused you to lose in the first place. I need you to look in the mirror and take a good long look at the one person that is 100% responsible for changing your life. Then look close at your sphere of influence. There are people in your circle that are there for a reason, season, or lifetime. The key is to identify their role. The one's you thought were lifers may in fact be there for a simple reason. It's easy to miss the lesson that others have for you when you miss why they are in your life. God doesn't give us the people we want, he gives us the people we need, it is up to us to understand that. When we learn that LOVE is our playbook, we begin to see the world in a new and exciting way.
Find the wisdom and the grace from each person that enters your life. Always remembering that everyone you meet knows something you don't. Find the good, gleam the lesson, and win the game. As you learn how to play and win in this game of life never forget that your new attitude lifts others up not pushes them down. As our game improves it becomes imperative that we share our new enthusiasm for living with others that are working to find their game. You have what it takes, just like The Pride, you are already a winner, you just allowed yourself to step into losing ways. Just because you lost a few games doesn't mean the season is a total loss. It can all change right here, right now.
God has a blessing with your name all over it. It is time to live your passion and let that bring out a newfound purpose that will start your mind to dreaming once again. You got this, you really do. Stop clinging to losing ways. Build your team, be your own life coach. It doesn't take money, it doesn't take fame, no need to wait for better weather, improved health, a new administration, or the cows to come home. This is your life, live it like you love it. You weren't created to lose and you didn't wake up today just to be average. God loved you enough to breath life into you, love yourself enough to get back in the game and win.
One last thought, there will always be setbacks, disappointments, and losses. We have feelings and emotions that guide our heart and mind. I urge you keep this quote close at all times or winning will always remain elusive.
"A moment of patience, in a moment of anger, can safe a lifetime of regret". Winners focus on winning while losers focus on winners.
God Bless
Dale
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