Why I Don’t Train To Be Great
Morning runs, healing foods, afternoon training, journaling, mentors, reading, researching... if I said I did none of these things to be "great"... would you believe me?
"When adversity hits, you will not rise to your potential, you will sink to the level of your training."
While the stigma of hard work may be perceived as an effort in greatness, I must say it is quite the contrary. Why? Because the greatness that happens is far beyond the human who presented it to the world... greatness is magic. Greatness is God. Unfortunately, that's not in our job description.
As an athlete we did not train for home runs, for double plays, for game-saving diving catches... that was not in our control. As an athlete, we trained for adversity- we trained for life. We trained for the bigger, badder team. We trained for shit hitting the fan, we trained... for resiliency.
Morning runs, healing foods, healing products, afternoon training, journaling, mentors, research, reading... I don't do them to be great. I do them to be resilient. I do them so that when life happens- because it WILL happen- I'll be ready. And when I get pushed around and knocked down, I'll know without a shadow of a doubt that I've done what it takes, that I HAVE what it takes, to stand back up.
My mom was diagnosed with colon cancer my senior year of college. I was about a week away from our first games of the season when I got the not-so-fun "Mom’s in the hospital and they're taking her into surgery" call.
It's true what they say... you can't fully prepare for something like that. You don't really ever think it'd be your life it happens to.
But I have to be really honest with you. And this may come as a shock for most... But in a really weird way, I felt... very prepared.
Wait- hold up. What?
I know.
But I did.
And I have the game to thank for that.
Why the hell don't I train to be great? Because I simply train for life. I train for the day that I get a phone call that Mom has cancer... so that I'll be strong enough to take it on. So that I'll know what to do with news like that. Adversity like that.
So I'll simply do what I've been practicing to do every other day of my life.
Wake up, accept what is- make it mean NOTHING more than just what it IS- take control of the things I can... and give the rest to faith.
Because, although you see a softball, a soccer ball, a track, the iron..... what you're really competing against and training for, is life. What you're really taking on is an opportunity to practice for the things that really matter.
For the things that only resiliency can get you through.
Why I don't train to be great? Because that's not in my hands.
It's the persevering through rough times that is.
It's the work to train my mind and become the best human on the inside, that is....
Because it's the standing back up that is.