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In the 1999 sports drama film “For Love of the Game,” Kevin Costner battles not just opposing teams, but also his inner demons and external distractions. Costner’s character Billy Chapel, amid a critical game, employs a technique he calls, “clear the mechanism”, to shut out the noise and focus solely on the task at hand. This scene offers profound insights into the importance of eliminating negative distractions in pursuit of success, a lesson applicable far beyond the baseball field.
In life, we often find ourselves metaphorically stuck in the wrong gear, facing challenges that seem insurmountable. Just as a vehicle struggles when in the wrong gear, our lives can feel stagnant or overwhelming when we're not in sync with our surroundings. When life gets the better of us. This blog explores the correlations between being stuck in the wrong gear and navigating life's obstacles. Join us as we uncover valuable insights on perseverance, resilience, and the importance of finding the healthy approach to move forward. Let's shift gears together and conquer life's challenges with confidence and determination.
Adversity. The word itself might make you cringe. It sounds heavy, troubling or even icky, like a slug or snail. A vat of thick molasses intended to get you stuck. Many people will go to great lengths in order to avoid adversity. Other will try to attack it with brawn, others their brain. If adversity is like standing at a big chasm, what is the bridge to crossing it?
Several years ago I came across an intriguing art form, that holds tremendous insights. Kintsugi, or Kintsukuroi, is the centuries-old Japanese art of fixing broken pottery. The name poetically translates to, “golden joinery.” While it’s origins aren't entirely clear, historians believe that it dates back to the late 15th century. Kintsugi has long represented prevalent philosophical ideas.
I’m all in! Go big or go home! Leave everything on the field! It’s all or nothing! Any one of these phrases are common to us as men. Whether it was on the sports field, in our friend groups, or in our business life, it is about giving it everything you have. Going all out. Leaving no stone unturned. We see it routinely in present day on the gridiron. It occurs over and over in the World Series of Poker when a guy pushes his chips into the middle of the table and declares, “All in!”
Finish this sentence, ”Why on earth is it so difficult to motivate _______.” Perhaps it is a child, family member, friend, a co-worker, or yourself. When it seems that someone else is stuck and you feel like you’ve exhausted all your options, perhaps it is time to reevaluate your approach. Time to changes things up and help that person ascend higher.
This is the final entry of a three part series in which we have explored cultivating relationships. First we looked at each of our individual responsibility to being open to growing in order to nurture connection. We then shifted to the importance of knowing our personal nature as well as the makeup of others in order to influence those same relationships. In this final entry we will focus on ways to cultivate a loving connection. We will do this through the lens of the Five Love Languages.
In Part 1 (of 3) we talked about how we are all in relationship with various people in our life. We took a closer look at parent child dynamics. We also spoke about the call of parents to mold children. But children aren't the only ones to evolve and grow, parents are called to that as well. In order to do so, we want to first establish a starting point. In this 2nd entry we will be looking at the nature part of the nature vs. nurture conversation.
While stress is inevitable, operating in overload is simply unhealthy. As life has gone on it has become more complicated than a game of tag or which flavored popsicle to grab from the freezer. Take pause to do some self evaluation and identify your common pitfalls. Then plot a new route to a healthier more stress free life.
Whether or not you or your child play Fortnite, it has become hard to avoid. Second hand Fortnite is real. The concerns of obsessive or even addictive game play is all the more real as well. There is too much of a good thing. So, how do navigate all of it? How are you practicing prudence and temperance?
In the first half of this two parter we looked at what made up a ‘Fixed Mindset’. Now we discuss a 'Growth Mindset' and explore the differences between them. We will also identify a key factor to cultivate growth, all in an effort to help you reach your full potential and avoid pitfalls like perfectionism, anxiety, and low self-esteem.
