Sunday, Dec 2, 2012
Garza County News

TGP

All Give Some, But Winners Give All

The Coach's Corner

Published Nov. 2, 2011 @ midnight

Athletic and all extracurricular activity is largely a metaphor or a proving ground if you will, for young students. There they learn life lessons and to experiment and make choices and learn about how to handle life’s adversities and how to set goals and enjoy life’s successes.  Class is for gaining of knowledge and athletics is for action for the two can only be useful if learned together.  Knowledge has no value unless it is put into action and athletics is drudgery without the information and plan to reach your goals.

I often hear students moaning over a class and questioning its usefulness, and I am quick to point out that each bit of knowledge and each class offers a tool or a skill if you will that we can put into our toolbox.  Education offers you something you can take and make your goals come true.  One day you will want a job, or a family, or have some other aspiration and it will take some math, science, or language art to help you obtain your objective.  All teaching is of value, but that value is only defined by the action the individual chooses to apply the knowledge gained.

Each of us was born with all it takes to be successful in life.  We often handicap ourselves with negativity, lack of confidence, and just plain lack of effort.  A wise man once said, “There are two ways to climb an oak tree.  You can climb, scramble, scale, clamber, and shinny up to the top – or you can sit on an acorn and wait.”  Athletics and everyday life is about learning to climb it.  You can stare up the limbs or you start up the limbs.  The choice is yours.

You may think that it all depends on ability, but I say we are all born with the ability.  Our abilities vary greatly between each other, but we all have our strengths.  People of average ability often achieve outstanding success because they do not know when to quit.  Most men succeed because they are determined to, not because of any special ability.

It reminds me of a story about a couple driving down a dirt road, in between some cotton fields west of town.  They were obviously a little lost and when they saw a farmer climbing down off a module builder so they pulled over, rolled down the window and asked the old farmer, “Sir, could you tell us where this road will take us?”  With a moment’s hesitation the wise old man said, “Son, this road will take you anywhere in the world you want to go.” 

Such it is with life, driving to a destination, athletics or climbing trees.  All you have to do is keep moving in the right direction.  Any road can be the right road, and any road can be the wrong road, and it all depends on what direction you are headed and that depends on the choices you make and the persistence you display on getting to your destination. Realize also that you can be on the right road and still get run over if you stand in the middle of it. 

To paraphrase, the Constitution of the United States of America clearly states, that we all are free to pursue our goals and happiness with all we possess as endowed by the Creator.  So using our own individual strengths and learning about our weaknesses, we can pursue life with all it takes, and while it may take all we have, if we choose to endure and focus on our goals we have a happy (successful) life.  Therefore, nothing can hold us back…but ourselves.

At the end of the day you must ask yourself, did you not only accomplish something positive, but did you accomplish what you should have with the ability you have. It is not enough to merely get by, but to use all your ability.  The fastest man on the team should not run to barely beat the others; he must run to test himself, to do his personal best. 

It is like the woman in the temple.  As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering.  He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “I tell you the truth, he said, this poor widow has put in more than all the others.  All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth, but she out of her poverty put in all she had,” Luke 21 1-4.  That is being All-In! You don’t have to have the same ability or resources as other people, just make the choice to give all you have to your pursuit.

Go out and use your God given ability and not just stand on the right track, but go ALL-IN.  Climb to the top and achieve your goals.  You have been given the ability but you and only you can use that ability.  Be Bold in your pursuit. Strive for the Gold in your life and when lost, stuck, or in doubt keep climbing.

 
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