In honor of baseball coming back, I want to revisit an entry I wrote last year.
Dear journal,
Today, while mowing the lawn, I had an epiphany that transformed how I view a stone on the path from the street to my front door. For years, I’ve walked over this stone without much thought, but today it struck me as a symbol of home plate in baseball. This realization sparked a reflection on how stepping up to this stone mirrors stepping up to the plate in life, where each day begins with taking action and embracing new challenges.
In baseball, stepping up to the plate is the beginning of an opportunity. It’s the moment when all your preparation, practice, and determination come into play. Similarly, each day we face new challenges and opportunities that require us to step up, take action, and do our best. But just like in baseball, our journey doesn’t end when we make that initial swing.
"Baseball is like driving, it's the one who gets home safely that counts," Tommy Lasorda once said. This quote resonated with me deeply as I thought about my own life. Just as in baseball, getting home safely is what truly matters. It’s not always about hitting a home run, but about making steady progress and relying on others to help us along the way.
Life, like baseball, is full of unexpected twists and turns. We face obstacles, setbacks, and challenges that we must navigate. Some days, it feels like we’re just fouling off pitch after pitch, struggling to find our rhythm. But persistence and resilience are key. Rick Maksian’s words, "Life will always throw you curves, just keep fouling them off. The right pitch will come, but when it does, be prepared to run the bases," remind me to stay hopeful and ready for the right opportunities. When they come, I must be prepared to seize them and run the bases.
Jackie Robinson once said, "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." This quote echoes the importance of teamwork in baseball and life. Just as in baseball, we don’t achieve our goals alone. We rely on the support, encouragement, and assistance of others. Our family and friends cheer us on, offer advice, and pick us up when we stumble. Coworkers collaborate with us, share insights, and help us achieve professional success. Sometimes, even strangers play a role, offering a helping hand or a kind word when we least expect it. Together, they help us advance around the bases and ultimately bring us home.
Reflecting on the simple stone in my path has made me appreciate the journey of life even more. It reminds me that every day is a new game, a new opportunity to step up to the plate. While the challenges are mine to face, I am never alone. I have a team that supports me, believes in me, and helps me achieve my goals.
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat," Roger Kahn said. It’s not just the victories that define us but how we handle the defeats. The bonds we form, the resilience we build, and the lessons we learn from our losses make us stronger and more appreciative of the wins. Life, like baseball, is a series of games, some we win, some we lose, but each one shapes us and adds to our journey.
So, every day as I step on that stone, I’ll remind myself that I’m stepping up to the plate. I’ll face the challenges head-on, knowing that I have a team behind me, helping me advance, and bringing me back home. And in the end, it’s not just about the runs scored, but the connections made, the lessons learned, and the journey taken.
Go Royals,
Dave