I was unfortunate enough to stay up pretty late last night (for me) in order to watch my team get brutally beaten by a division rival. The Eagles looked absolutely terrible against the Dallas Cowboys. But there is something to be learned by watching these athletes even while they are being battered, beaten and humiliated. Just keep going!
There is a reason there are so few people who qualify to play for professional sports teams. These are the people who work harder than the rest. They do whatever they need to in order to be one of the best. They hire trainers, coaches, take classes (such as dance) that will enhance their skills and then, they do the work. And there it is. They do the work. They get up every day and do the workouts. They go to practice and work on their skills. They fight back from injuries pushing themselves to get back to top form. One of the reasons is these athletes know how rare it is to be in their business. They want the high paycheck. They want the lifestyle. They want the recognition. They want to be with a winning team. And mostly, they want to be the very best they can be. The only way to get all that is to work the very hardest they can.
Even while I was watching these boys of mine get ripped apart last night, I saw a bunch of guys unwilling to give up until that last second ticked off the clock. And then they start preparing for next weeks game. There are times when you see a team give up when they are down so far there is no coming back, but more often you see a group trying to do anything and everything they can to advance their team. Or at least themselves. How tired do you think the defense was in the 4th quarter? But of course, they can’t say; “Yeah, I’m done. Too tired to do any more work.” They wouldn’t do that even if they had the opportunity. Because they know what it means to be part of a team and they ready to fight to the very end.
You have done similar things in your life many times without even realizing it is the same scenario. How many times did you get up in the middle of the night because the baby was crying? Did you feel like it? Were you so tired that you would have done anything to just keep sleeping? But you didn’t, you got up and did what you had to do for your child. It’s the same when you come home after a long day at work. Do you tell the kids you are too tired to get dinner for them, check homework, take them to practice? Probably not. You do what you have because you knew what would be required of you to be a parent. It’s the same with living your best life. You have to do the work. I’m sorry, but that is the truth. You must do it for yourself. Even when you are tired and don’t feel like it. You have to do it anyway just like you did for your kids or your boss or your spouse.
The first and easiest step is to start that gratitude journal. Just write down five things you are grateful for at the end of the day. If these athletes can push themselves physically you can take five minutes to write down five things, right? It’s a piece of cake compared to what some people have to do. I know I sound like a broken record but keeping a gratitude journal was the number one thing that turned me from a pessimist to a Hopefulist. And it’s so simple. The more you do it, the easier it gets.
So, get to it. Get that cute notebook and fabulous pen and start doing it. I know you don’t feel like it. Do it anyway. I’m talking five minutes here at the most. If you are having trouble thinking of things to be grateful for refer to my gratitude journal guide. It makes getting started really easy.
So, it is grateful Monday. Which is my favorite day after Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Get that gratitude journal started and look for the positive today instead of focusing on the negative. And make today, your best day yet!
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