Passion and vision ... how important are they?
Bluntly put … THEY ARE EVERYTHING!!!
EVERYTHING!!!
“Mediocrity is a choice. So is excellence.
Everything you and I do causes us to make a choice: Will we do what we’re doing with mediocrity or with excellence? … it’s easy to be mediocre. It doesn’t take much effort to do something without passion, focus, or intensity. But, in another way, mediocrity is very expense. It’ll cost you life-transforming opportunities. In a world filled with mediocrity, only excellence stands out. Pastor Derwin L. Gray
How badly do you or your child WANT your goal?
BTW: This is ANY goal. Not just sports. I played baseball for a very long time. I still get “twitchy” when the spring rolls around. Surprisingly it is NOT for the games. I’m actually a bit surprised but I DON’T miss the games. Not at all.
I don’t miss competing against other players. Oh, maybe a little bit but I’m done with that. I played well enough for a very long time and I’m okay with being done. I have other things to do; my family; a nonprofit charity that I’m involved with.
I miss practice. I miss working out. I miss the “process”. I miss the challenge of getting better.
Oh, I still “work out” for an hour just about every day. I hit the weights, get on one of the cardio machines, etc. It’s not the same. Working out for baseball (… it could be any sport) had a “purpose” to it; a joy. The purpose was (a – love of the game and (b – to “give back” to the “gift” of being able to play a game I loved and the joy I found in it by being as good as I possibly could.
I don’t miss the competition with other players and teams as much as I miss the competition with MYSELF.
Do you have that passion? Does your son or daughter have that passion?
I will use the term “athlete” because that is the environment I primarily work in (I work with people on other issues as well; life coaching issues, relationships, etc.) but the truths herein apply to virtually ANY endeavor. I have three sons. They all played sports. My oldest has a doctorate in math. My middle boy achieved two masters degrees before he was thirty and is the youngest academic administrator (he’s a vice principal at a high school) in the state. My youngest had close to a full academic scholarship for music and is starting his own music production company.
Sports; particularly baseball and track were my passions. Other pursuits; (math, academic administration, music) were THEIR passions.
My oldest went to USC for graduate school. He would often call me at midnight EST (which is 3am in California); still in his office; working. My middle boy taught English in South Korea for two years in order to afford graduate school. My youngest learned to play six instruments and has gotten certified in as many music engineering tools as available.
Passion is what “motivates” a performer. It is what immerses us in the process and, believe it or not, IT IS WHAT GETS US THROUGH NEGATIVITY; through (in the case of sports), wins and losses, dropped balls, strike outs, bad referees, bad umpires, bad coaches, “the sun got in my eyes”, bad hops, injuries, etc., etc., etc.
Performers who have passion are focused on the word “BETTER”. Anything that disrupts their path is NOT perceived as an impenetrable or insurmountable wall but simply as an obstacle that can be climbed over.
Problems are perceived intellectually, mentally, and emotionally as being “temporary”.
Why?
Because it is all part of the process. There is always tomorrow. There is always joy and excitement in what tomorrow brings on our path.
Listen to my friend Luis Lopez; a 20 year professional, discuss how, when he was NOT drafted out of college, he was not set back but moved forward with the avenues that were available to him and realized his dream of playing in the big leagues.
I work to address a broad range of issues in the articles and give you all the best information possible. If you have a question or feel you would benefit by advice or counseling, give me a call.
I realize that sometimes it is difficult to ask for help; especially with mental skills. However, all of us can improve something with our game or field of endeavor.
Believe me … at the highest levels of performance which you all aspire to … mental skills are the MOST IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR GAME. Fixing mechanical skills or getting bigger stronger faster without being tough mentally simply DOES NOT WORK!!!
Sometimes we need help but don’t know who to ask … or how. Contact me and I can explain all our programs including sports mental toughness programs which can easily improve your own mental game or that of your son/daughter or the players you coach.
I work with athletes and their families at every level of performance from all over the world using ZOOM over the internet!!!
CALL ME FOR A FREE CONSULTATION
Karl Avdek, Founder, GC-GP-GH