Recently, Patti and I flew to Tampa for the wedding of a friend. We were not able to go until the day of the wedding as our oldest son is still playing football. His team won Friday night and now must play a team in the finals that they put a beat down on in the regular season. The first game was hyped as a test for our team, and it was about as lopsided as it could be.
Saturday, my alma matter Bentonville High School, lost to Fayetteville in the 7A finals. The week leading up to the game, Bentonville was ranked number 3 in the nation and had something like a 25 game winning streak. Of note, similar to the above described situation, they also put a beat down on Fayetteville in the regular season. Just more proof to the age old adage that the game must be played. There are few sure things when competition is involved.
The phrase “THE GAME MUST BE PLAYED” is now affixed over the door leaving our house into the garage. I put it there as a reminder not only to my son, but to the entire family. Life is a game and it must be played. Whether you actively get out and try or stay on the sidelines matters not. The game is going on with or without you.
Growing up, I did a little amateur boxing. I rarely lost a third round. I won most of the second rounds I fought and almost none of the first rounds. Failure to win the first rounds in my fights caused me to lose far more than I should have. The fight started in the first round whether I was actively participating or not. Ultimately, I lost more than a few fights that I should have won because I did not actively play the entire match.
No one plays as hard as they should all the time. You have to pace yourself, and it is impossible to go at 110 percent all the time. But we all know we would be better off in all aspects of our lives if we put a little more effort into what we are doing and “played the game.” I recognize that playing the game often requires you to choose between different paths and different playing fields. Life will take us many places we did not choose to go. However, it is often our passive choices that lead us to the unintended and unwanted destinations.
On my way to work today, I drove in the rain. What I really wanted to do was go back home and sleep.. I encouraged myself to get into the office and play as hard as I could today and make the most out of the day. Sometimes, it is the days that you least want to play that you need to play the hardest. They say it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, just how you play. Conversely, the greater the effort given to playing the game makes winning a whole easier.
I will continue to remind my son all week about the need to come out and play 110 percent in this week’s championship game. I will also remind myself that winning is not everything, but playing hard for what you want is. You don’t always get what you want, but you tend to do a lot better when you try. That is especially true for those of us way up in the CHEAP SEATS!