Weekly Spark #248: It's Not Over Til It's Over!

Welcome to The Weekly Spark, my weekly newsletter featuring insights on mental and physical wellness, intentional living, and personal development. Since September 2020, I’ve published 248 reflections hoping to motivate myself and others to live more thoughtful, purpose-driven lives.

This past week, the sports world reminded me, yet again, of one of my dad’s favorite sayings/lessons: it’s not over til it’s over. Some might attribute that quote to Yogi Berra, but it’s Jeff Vrabel for me. In two major sporting events (NBA finals game 1 and the French Open Men’s Final), we saw this lesson in prime time. Two competitors on the cusp of defeat came from behind and left their respective competitions victorious. As we pursue our own versions of excellence, it takes significant resolve, drive, and mental willpower to compete with your back against the wall, but it’s necessary in many instances.

Last Thursday, after trailing 47 minutes and 59.7 seconds of a 48 minute game (.3 seconds away from a loss), Tyrese Haliburton hit a 21-foot jump shot to propel the Pacers to victory in game 1 of the NBA finals. After being behind for nearly 99.99% of the game, they snuck away with a victory. As he pulls up to take that final shot, you think he’s thinking about losing? Absolutely not. Until that final whistle blows, it’s anybody’s game on any given day. It’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish.

Turn to Carlos Alcaraz in the Men’s French Open Final. In a best of 5 set match, Carlos dropped the first two sets. He was one lost set away from being sent back to the locker room as a runner-up. After winning the 3rd set, he was down a break and saved 3 match points in the 4th set (his opponent, Jannik Sinner, had only had to win 1 of 3 points to end the match). For the non-tennis folks, he was as close to losing as you can get, on 3 separate occasions, and managed to squeak by. After 5 hours and 29 minutes, he was declared champion after completing an improbable comeback in epic fashion to win the match in 5 sets. Until that final whistle blows, it’s anybody’s game on any given day. It’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish.

While none of us will be competing in the NBA finals or tennis Grand Slams, this lesson is applicable in life. No matter what you are pursuing, it’s not over til it’s over. Sometimes we end up playing mind games with ourselves and eroding our confidence by telling ourselves we are closer to defeat than we really are. Sometimes we lose before we even show up, just by our poor mindsets. Maybe you’re interviewing for a job and haven’t heard back for 14 days; on the 15th day, you can still get hired. Maybe you started the semester with tough marks and feel like you won’t do well; with a diligent work ethic and knockout performance on the final, you can still get an A. Maybe you struggled in your first performance review and are worried about your chances of advancing in the company or worse yet getting fired; by getting clear on where you can improve and building a diligent action plan to improve and add value to your company, you can ultimately thrive in your role and eventually get promoted. Or as I learned very recently in the business school admissions process: just because you didn’t get an acceptance call in the first 19 hours and 55 minutes of a 24-hour day, you can still get the call and earn a ticket to your wildest dreams 🙏

Until the result is baked, you are still in the game and have to compete with every ounce of energy, passion, and vigor that you have. When your back is against the wall, it’s not time to give in or even think about what defeat looks like; you dig deeper and find a way. With a strong mindset like that, wherever you are and whatever you do, when you do that, you can do the improbable. You can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and ultimately will yourself to far more success. It’s not over til it’s over!

Mental Diet

Quote of the Week:

“A man’s character is not judged after he celebrates a victory, but by what he does when his back is against the wall.” - John Cena

I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. If you are enjoying The Weekly Spark, please share with a friend, family member, or coworker who you think might benefit. If you have thoughts, comments, or feedback, please reply to this email and share them; I’d love to hear from you! Until next time… Take care of yourself and take care of each other. 🙏

Nathan