True Love Tuesday (on Thursday): Are You Ready for Some Football?

I love football. I get anxious about the season right around June. I spend hours talking with my brothers and husband about the trades, acquisitions, the ads; I can have a conversation about just anything about football. I can always tell when a special season is on the horizon because the weather behaves and accommodates my sense of fall, which includes a slight crispness in the air. Unfortunately, this is not one of those seasons. Still, I believe that the possibility for greatness exists if the players cooperate, which continues to feed my passion for the sport.

See, like life, there are external forces (weather, turf/field, referees, fans) that can impact our actions and choices. Still, the choice to excel and succeed is ultimately ours. Lou Holtz (former Notre Dame Football coach) recently gave a speech about champions vs. winners. What I got from his musings was that champions expect to win and play accordingly because they make the effort to be prepared; while winners are usually talented, but play not to lose. I think if you love what you’re doing, it’s not a chore or a job, but an essential part of who you are and you prepare yourself accordingly. If you’re a professional football player you should be watching tape, taking advice or whatever is needed to make you a better player (without cheating). Champions know that with success much more work is required to prevent mediocrity and complacency. Champions exude confidence, so much so that their opponents expect them to win, even if the score says otherwise.

I believe I have a champion attitude. In my professional capacity, I need to show up prepared when scheduled. I can’t say, “Oops, I’m sorry can I get a do over? I was out late last night partying, because that was WAY more important to me at the time than this job.” Now, that works if you really don’t want your job, but what if you do? What if it’s not a job, but a friend, spouse, child, or ___________? You could fill in the blank with anything you’d like, because if was important to you, you’d find a way to prepare yourself to do what was needed to excel and succeed. Hence, True Love Tuesday on Thursday! Excuses only work for young children. Now, I may not have the making for a dynasty yet (one of those teams that’s a juggernaut in whatever they do Boston Celtics [pre 80’s], Yankees, Green Bay Packers [12 NFL titles], or the Chicago Bulls).

So, I’m taking my own advice and making it work for me as a guest blogger for Babz. I dropped the ball, but I’m still here willing and ready to fiercely participate – ‘cause that what champs do.