By Adam Crews
My first memory of Tee-ball is vivid as if it was yesterday.
I was playing second base, and I’m standing there with my glove and hand on my knees — praying the ball would not be hit towards me. Sure enough, I see the ball coming my way and I stand there, just paralyzed and unable to move.
Meanwhile, the other team’s fans are going crazy as the runner speeds past me. My team is yelling, screaming for me to do something. I can see the dissatisfaction with my friends, and at that moment my heart sank. I had failed everyone around me, and I’d failed myself.
Why did I fail? Because I wasn’t prepared. That’s not entirely a 5-year-old boys fault, but it was the most valuable lesson I ever learned.
The feeling of defeat can either kill you or drive you to become better. For me, I practiced harder than any player in my league that offseason and I came back different, I became a proficient baseball player. Almost every baseball season after that I would be selected to the all-stars.
The secret to success wasn’t my athletic ability because God didn’t gift me with a ton of it. But, what I learned that offseason is you can out-work your peers, and while they stay stagnant, you can grow. The key is to master the fundamentals of your desired skill. Do that, build on that slowly, and watch as you pass your peers.
Life is no different than baseball. Do you have a goal that you want to accomplish? Or how about a dream to do something more with your life?
Ask yourself: What am I willing to do to attain that goal?
Do you know that most people just sit around wishing, and never start doing? All it takes is one movement forward to change your life. The secret to success isn’t in the long game, it’s the short game. It’s the process. Learn what it takes to master it, and just keep doing it. Eventually, you will go from a novice to a pro, and it will not take as long as you thought.
The question is — Will you take that first step? When things get tough, I mean really hard, will you quit — or keep going?
This life is but a vapor, and it will be gone soon. You only have one chance at making your dreams a reality. Don’t let self-doubt and fear keep you from achieving your goals. Don’t let negative influences in your life reign supreme in your mind.
Instead of letting fear keep you from taking that first step, make fear keep you from stopping. Let the fear of failure drive you to success. Harness fear, and ride her to the victory line.
