What’s your definition of success? Is it vision fulfilled or being in a specific place or position? What if you get there and you are not happy, with no new vision set beyond that point? Maybe you’re a young person with a dream of what success should be, but it seems unattainable so you talk yourself into something else, something easier, something more safe to achieve or maintain.
Stay with me (as a not overly sporty person) as I show you what I’ve learned from observing my sons play their favourite sport of soccer (or otherwise known as football).
Both love scoring goals and despise conceding same. This naturally places them in an attacking (forward) position, but due to their height, speed and big kick, their coaches invariably choose to assign defender (back) positions to them.
This season was no different. The coach asked my eldest, when he met him the first time, what his preferred position was. “Up front, right wing, left wing or striker” was his response. First game and the coach had him on centre back! Whilst watching his game my dad gave me a call and was the first soundboard of my disappointment. He responded that he was glad to hear we had a good coach that could recognise that my son could play in the centre of the field and kick equally good with his left and right foot, but more importantly he would know exactly what to expect when the striker of the opposing team tried to break through their defence, so he could turn an attack into an opportunity for a counter attack. Being a defender is a very strategic position, that apart from the obvious, creates new opportunities to attack by how the ball is played forward. Wow, talk about a change of perspective!
With grandpa’s encouragement in hand we looked forward to the next game. This time round my son was on the bench! Later in the game he got subbed on in the mid field. I knew it was not his favourite position, but from my perspective he was moving up the field. They didn’t win that day and the coach was not shy in relaying his disappointment, yet encouraged them to learn from it and prepare for the next game. This did not dampen my son’s passion. “Best game I’ve had in a while he said.” He continued to say that they knew it was going to be tough and be a very physical game, so the coach decided to put my son on the bench so that he could go on “when” we had an injury. His abilities made him a highly versatile player who could play anywhere on the pitch. The first player to go down with injury was the captain. Whilst the team was playing safe and trying not to give away further goals, my son kept his legs warm on the sidelines, ready to run on to any position assigned to him. He was not limiting himself to playing a specific position, but rather readying himself to play any position.
My youngest son’s team had an uphill battle most of the season. Likewise, he was put on as a defender, but starting every game with a “come on [his name], you’ve got this”, regardless of the position he was assigned. He was not interested in playing safe, he played to win, despite the growing list of losses they suffered. Now they are winning games.
When we play safe, our perspective becomes tainted by what we stand to lose (this includes our position) and fear may enter our life. We become focussed on holding on to the land we have already conquered and we stand to lose our vision for greater success or even worst, our vision becomes envisaged losses.
When we do what we can, playing any position required and driven by faith for success, we confirm our vision, which propels us forward towards achieving it. We do this by being ready for opportunity, looking past the conditions we find ourselves in, not settling our identity in a particular position, opening our hearts to encouragement and closing our ears to opinions.
Most importantly, draw strength from every personal victory and don’t let anything rob your vision. Staying focused on where you are going is way more important than lingering in contentment in the how far you’ve come.
When life happens and things get tough do you respond by thinking that nothing you can do can make a difference and move to preserve the little that you have? Instead be the difference and drive forward with faith for new opportunities of success. Maybe you could even be the coach or grandpa for someone else to encourage them to see new opportunity.