Captain Andrew Guy Athletic Director – Like a lighthouse in the harbour, humans are like seagoing vessels on the turbulent waters of life, on a journey to reach somewhere better than where we now find ourselves.
Regardless of our vocations, status of living, and quality of life, we all share this one aim of ending up somewhere better than here. It’s called change, and we all are driven by the possibilities of transformation. The reality is that sometimes, and most often, where we start is never indicative of our final destination. Many times, failures become winners, losers become champions, and mistakes become lessons learned that transform life forever.
You see, despite what happens to each of us, we all have a guiding compass that steers us in one direction or the other. In the end, it is our greatest hope that where we end up is really where we want to be, and the person we become is who we envisioned.
Author, entrepreneur, and international speaker, John C. Maxwell, describes in his famous book, “Make Today Count” how today is the best day to change your life. I completely agree with that statement; so much so that I coined off my own after reading his book. I call it, “Now is your only chance to make today and tomorrow happen!” Without now there’s no then, without today there’s no tomorrow, and you don’t have to be great to start today, but you must start today to be great tomorrow.
As a father, educator, leader, and development coach, I live by the motto of: if you are not trying you are not alive; if you are not making mistakes, you are not living, but if you are not correcting them you fail to grow! It is the mindset that empowers average people to do extraordinary feats.
Many times, our plans seldom pan out the way they appear in our heads, but this should not discourage us from having dreams; but rather, serve as a source of motivation to help us facilitate the growth that we need to become the best version of ourselves, for our calling, and for those we will serve in the future. So, why the need to become better versions of who we are today than we were yesterday, and even better examples of tomorrow than our past and present? It is in our nature to always strive to become… better, to improve, to excel, and to overcome. The only way to achieve this feat is to become hypervigilant about the things that mean the most to us; to be resilient, remain encouraged, endure, persevere, and be determined to make your life count for something worth reading and talking about in the years to come.
It is a no-brainer that in our greatest attempt to live the perfect life is a farse and is riddled with unforeseen mistakes, some of which are out of your control. Let’s be real; on your journey in life, you will encounter errors, setbacks, disappointments, and challenges that will rock you to the core and shake your fortified foundation, compromise your motivation, and have you question your sense of self. But remain focused and embrace every moment. This will all work out for your good. Your challenges are the sharpener of life that sharpen your pencils of potential and give you the power to write a new chapter for your life.
How we navigate your way through life has a lot to do with the mindset that controls how you feel and determines the outcome of your actions. Rest assured, mistakes are part of living, and new opportunities are the erasers to make good today on yesterday’s blunders.
In our health and wellness unit we discussed mental wellness in class. The Alpha group were extremely engaged and excited to learn how mental health can help us develop effective coping skills to manage our emotions and create better social interactions with their cohorts. The discussion was intense as they were able to unlock the mystery behind how the outcome of our total actions are predicated upon how we think, which generates a feeling that fuels our actions, and predicts our behavioural patterns. KEEP AN ERASER IN MIND, just in case, I told them. Teaching youth social skills is one of the best ways to help them to take a swing at life’s curve balls with confidence. The idea behind the discussion was to help them forgive each other when they mess up, and to use future opportunities to erase past errors, so then can cultivate better socials skills for life.
This week I had another opportunity to teach the same concept of the “ERASER IN MIND” to our varsity basketball team. To make it applicable to sports, I told the team to “PLAY WITH AN ERASER IN MIND.” One player in particular, #22, shooting guard, Cad. Uzan was struggling to convert his efforts on the offensive end of the court. Here is a player who had the potential to outperform any player on the basketball court but struggled with overcoming his mistakes and failed shots attempted. After sitting down with Cad. Uzan and explained this new concept, he became a dominating force over a team they lost to previously. Cad. Uzan’s 29 points was the sum total of DSBN’s points as a team.
What’s the takeaway here? With every challenge comes an opportunity for growth. You must actively look for these opportunities and use them as erasers to write a new course for your life. Your journey in life may not always be smooth, so ALWAYS KEEP AN ERASER IN MIND!
