Game of Failure and Redemption
Every year around this time as the baseball season comes to an end, I reflect on how much I love the game. This is the sport that has resonated in my soul for as long as I can remember. Thinking back, I can still see the games on our TV where it looked like the pitcher was just a few feet away from the batter. There was no slow motion or special effects, but I absorbed every minute of it.
Better yet, I thrived while playing it from the age of 4 or 5 in every form – Texas, Farm and Little Leagues, Babe Ruth, High School, stickball, wiffleball, porchball, softball – they all gave me great challenge and deep joy.
As I have realized over the years, one of the fundamental reasons baseball aligns with my being so strongly is that it is a game of failure, with opportunity for redemption - in fact it is a metaphor for life. By that I mean that every chance you get to try to hit, field or throw the ball is a new and fresh opportunity. In many cases though it is really, really, difficult to do and you swing and miss, or double clutch on a throw. When that happens, the only chance you will succeed the next time is if you regroup, dust off and try again. And try again after that if you need to.
The best hitters in history did not hit safely 6 out of 10 times at the plate! Three of the teams with the top five winning percentage of games in a season did not win the World Series! Failure and redemption repeat, over, and over again.
Like in life, the key to baseball is not the last swing you took, but the one right in front of you now. Winners in the game of baseball, and in life, have the will to stand up to the plate and take the next swing, regardless of what happened with the last one. And then, the thrill of victory ensues when redemption comes, and you and your team ultimately share success.
I help people identify the right mindset and skills to get back in the batter’s box and take the next swing, regardless of their efforts before. What last “at bat” are you holding on to for too long in your business, career, or life? How can I help you be ready for the next one?
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