4:30 a.m. Thinking, March 4th, 2010
Passion!
I’m not a huge sports fan. I don’t follow any particular teams, don’t watch any sports on a regular basis outside of playoff games. I watch playoffs so I can be part of the conversation ‘around the water cooler’ more than anything else.
I watched a couple of the Olympic hockey games recently, both of the Canada/USA games. I was in New Orleans for the first one and watched it with a group of Canadians who are madly passionate about the game. It was an outstanding game, so far above the level of anything you ever see during the NHL season, including the playoffs. Neither team lost that game; they both played outstanding hockey, and one of them happened to win the game. For Canada it was a case of ‘so close, and yet so far away’.
Watching that game inspired me to watch the Gold medal game, and, boy was it an awesome exhibition of skill, determination, and teamwork. Watching the Americans fight so hard against the domination by the Canadians, getting saved by their goalie, then seeing them score that goal when they had the extra man on due to pulling
their goalie was such an emotional moment. Again, neither team really was the loser up to that point – exceptional play by both sides, resulting in a tied game at the end of regulation time. Can there be a better illustration of equality?
And then, to see the goal by Crosby, well, that was incredible. And to see the blocks of cities across this country closed down as the celebrations spilled over into the streets, wow, that was powerful. I would have been equally as affected if the Americans had won and the TV was showing the celebrations going on across America.
What made this such great hockey? And, how did they do it?
The teams don’t play together on a consistent basis, they don’t get much time to practise and gell, yet there they were, putting on one of the greatest displays the sport has ever seen. How did they do it?
I mean, they weren’t getting paid millions of dollars to be there, like they get paid for playing in the NHL, right? So that just proves that money doesn’t guarantee superior performance. So what made them play so well? In a word, PASSION!
Have you ever watched hockey at the level where the college or NHL scouts are out watching, and noticed how hard they play, how focused they are and how the level of play just seems to lift to a whole new level? Why is that?
It’s not only because of the potential money these kids are looking at down the road, it’s about their PASSION!
I learned many years ago that we all have much higher levels of ability and raw talent inside of ourselves than we ever let out on a consistent basis. Sure, sometimes it gives us a glimpse, a hint that it’s there, just waiting to be released. This ability and raw talent is like a thoroughbred chomping at the bit, anxious for the gates to open and the race to begin. This ability and raw talent can perform at it’s highest level every single day, if we just get out of the way and let it. There is only one fuel that drives this ability and raw talent, and that is PASSION!
As always, in the Ying & the Yang of Life, there is a force lying in wait to counter-attack this ability and raw talent when it come rushing to the surface, and that force is YOURSELF!
Wait a minute, you think, why would I sabotage myself? Because that’s what we do. Until we get clear of our limiting beliefs and until we give ourself permission to live a life of passion, we will continue to sabotage ourself.
Want some help getting clear of your limiting beliefs? The Your Call To Success program will teach you that in a complete way, and with some effort on your part, you will be in control of those limiting beliefs and free to live a life of passion. Not only in your work, but the spillover into your personal life will be huge as you see the joy that comes naturally once you open those floodgates just a little.
Questions? Give me a call at 905-208-7002, or send me an email, or leave a comment right here on this blog.
I’m here to help.
One Ping