I have been playing some form of sports since I was born. Whether it was trowing a baby bottle across the nursery at the hospital or running in the yard with my dad and sisters, I have always been active.
This is probably a familiar tale for many young, energetic boys, who seem to have an unlimited supply of energy bottled up.
Just as a young, smart kid would get into trouble in school if they weren’t challenged, I would have gotten into trouble in life if I didn’t have sports. To be clear, I was also the same kid who needed a challenge in the classroom in order to stay out of trouble there too.
Apparently, I need challenge in my life.
As I grew up, and went through middle school, high school, and college, I was always challenged with school and sports. Sometimes one more than the other. But my point is, I was always challenged in some way shape or form.
There are people who don’t like challenges. Sometimes I don’t like them. Some challenges seem impossible. Sometimes challenges seem like more of an obstacle or hindrance. But a challenge is called a challenge for a reason.
One thing I have learned in life, is that challenges make you stronger. The greater the challenge, the greater the reward. Additionally, with each challenge you overcome, you become tougher. If you complete several challenges in a row, you might even feel invincible!
The key to overcoming any challenge however, is to never give up. That is where I see people falter too often in life and in sport. Those who have the determination and perseverance to push through the hardest part of the challenge, will always complete the challenge.
But those are just words. Action and taking the necessary steps to succeed are what really matter.
So how does this relate sport and life? For me, in my journey, I have always been challenged. I have never been the tallest (except in my current house hold), or the fastest or the strongest (again, except in my current house hold). I have never been the smartest. But I have always thought of myself as the hardest worker in the room.
If there was something I wanted, no matter how many challenges were in the way, I gave everything I had. I left it all on the field, court, track, course, etc.
Through sport, I have learned that with the proper mindset and focus, nothing is impossible. That translates to life as well.
If you want to be successful at your job, make a lot of money, or have anything material you have dreamed of, you need to put in the work. You need to face challenges head on, and conquer them.
There is a saying, “Nothing worth it is easy.” I love that because it is true. The hardest things are the most valuable. When I did my Ironman, the feeling when I reached the red carpet was un-explainable. All that hard work and time spent training was validated once I crossed that finish line.
When the Patriots beat the Falcons in Superbowl 51, if they had been ahead most the game and won 34-28, it wouldn’t have been a story. Instead they came from behind, and were down 28-3 before scoring 31 points unanswered. That challenging and difficult (impossible) situation, is what made the end result so sweet.
Why does all this matter? Why are challenges so important to life? Because many times, we have to face and overcome challenges that we have no control over. Situations will arise that we don’t expect, or that we don’t like.
When that happens, we are faced with two options, we can rise above the challenge and beat it, or we can succumb to the difficulty and roll over.
As a world, we are currently faced with a very unique set of challenges. We have gone from 0 to 100 real quick on the challenges ahead of us. If we don’t even think about COVID 19 for a second, there are so many more challenges we face day to day. Climate change, racism, stereotypes, poverty, pollution, diseases, extinctions, the list goes on.
Throw in a world wide pandemic on top of it all, and it would seem like Armageddon is around the corner or perhaps here already. To say we face an enormous challenge as a species is an understatement.
So what are we going to do? What are you going to do? Are we going to come together and smash this challenge between the eyes?
I have faith that if we all do our part, stay positive, and work together, we will come out on the other side of this stronger, faster, and more resilient than ever.
It starts with everyone taking care of their own personal challenges and not backing down because something is hard or seems impossible. If you start a task with a positive attitude that you can complete it, you are already winning. After that, having the determination to stay strong will carry you through the challenge and onto the next one.
Whether your challenge is a physical one like running 1 or 100 miles, or a personal one like being happier or friendlier or wealthier, I have faith that you can complete it. Just remember: positive attitude, determination, perseverance.
