Weekly Spark #146: Father's Day
Every year, on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, I enjoy reflecting on the lessons and teachings of my parents. Over the past few years, I’ve documented some of these concepts in multiple podcasts, as well as Weekly Sparks. Do your talking on the scoreboard. The value of lifetime relationships. People are human beings first. Focus on adding value to other people’s lives. These are a few of the things my dad has taught me. This year I’d like to expand on a different concept: the faster it comes in, the faster it goes out.
Baseball is a sport that we bonded over as I grew up. I have fond memories of him attending my games, training together in our backyard, and encouraging me to “play like an all star.” More specifically, as it pertains to this lesson, there were times when I would face a pitcher who might’ve thrown faster than other kids. He could’ve been taller, stronger, or more talented. Regardless, that ball was coming in way quicker with much less time to react. This was intimidating. As a result of this intimidation, some struck out before they even stepped in the batter’s box. Others relished the opportunity to compete, challenge themselves, and see what they could do. Let’s factor out hindsight bias; I struck out and hit home runs against those clowns, but I wasn’t afraid, in large part due to a simple message from my dad: “the faster it comes in, the faster it goes out.”
Intimidating “pitchers” and fast pitches present themselves long after the little league baseball days come to a close. They’re growth opportunities, ones that will challenge us and put us outside of our comfort zone. They’re a bridge from the life we know and a different, better life. These fast pitches are the opportunities to embrace new challenges and opportunities, when the only thing we want to do is clutch to the old, easy, and familiar. We have a decision to make when faced with these opportunities: do we relish the opportunity to “compete,” challenge ourselves, and grow as a result? Or do we shrivel up in fear, striking out before we even set foot in the batters box?
Unfortunately, fear drives many people in the opposite directions of their dreams, and that better life than the one that they know now. What if I fail? What if someone makes fun of me? What if I don’t fit in? These fears and insecurities drive people, young and old, to live a life of embracing comfort and avoiding fear, a sad reality we see today. The intimidating pitchers and fast pitches don’t stop on the little league diamond; in fact, they only increase in frequency, speed, and intensity. These pitches are something to embrace, knowing that “the faster it comes in, the faster it goes out.”
Mental Diet
Podcast of the Week: 16- Father’s Day Special #2 with Jeff Vrabel
Quote of the Week:
“The faster it comes in, the faster it goes out.” - Jeff Vrabel
I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. Until next time… Take care of yourself and take care of each other. 🙏
Nathan