"THOU SHALL HAVE HEART...AND....MENTAL TOUGHNESS"

*Distinguishing the Great from the TRULY GREAT*

I love watching my kids play their sports. I Love it just about better than anything in the world.

Last weekend, Steele's team played in their state tournament.

They had been preparing for this tournament all season long....Steele would practice in our batting cage on "off" days until he physically could not swing the bat anymore.

He wanted this. He could taste it. His buddies wanted this. They could also taste it.

So, what stopped them?

They are (in my humble opinion) one of the very best team in the majors (in their age division.)

Most of them have been playing together since they were little bitty things. They know each other like the back of their hands. When they are "on" and completely in sync....well....they are simply unbeatable. Period.

So...here's the million dollar question:

What kept them from reaching that coveted #1 spot? That spot that they hungered for.....longed for.....even ached for? That #1 spot that they all felt belonged to them this year?

Hmm...What could it have been?

Let's see.....They have talent, right?

Yep..check.

 Skill?

Yep. Lots of skill. Check.

Knowledge and know-how?

Without question. Check

Were they prepared?

Yep. Check. Check

So, what in the world could have stopped them short of their goal?

Ah...I think I got it.... it's two things actually ....and I have a feeling these two things get in the way of A LOT of lifelong dreams out there.......

Those two things?

 HEART.

And Mental Toughness.

My dad used to say that many of the greatest athletes in the world actually didn't start off with maybe as much natural talent as others, BUT because of their HEART.....their DESIRE....and their WILL to succeed, they ended up breaking records, earning accolades and winning championships! .....Not to mention all the harts they won from fans INSPIRED by their courage!

This special group had that "never give up" attitude!

Just plain mentally tough.

To PERSEVERE was all they knew to do to reach their goals.

So they did it.

Yep.

They are the the ones who persevere, even when things look grim.

They are the ones who put forth great effort even when it seems they have nothing left to give.

They are the the ones who become leaders. (on and off the field.)

 They are the encouragers...and many times they don't have to say a word. They encourage with their actions.

Well, last weekend, after "pool play" our fellas found out that their first "real" game Sunday morning was going to be against the ONLY team that seems to get in their heads. You could almost see the mental defeat wash over them as they began to shake their heads or grumble under their breath. This team we were to play against has great talent, but .....(and I'll be delicate here)..... the tactics of the coaches, parents and players are awful and get under all of our skin, if I'm to be completely honest.

But long story short (ha! sounds funny coming from me), our boys started off strong (which caught the other team off-guard) but then we began making mental errors...which is how the other team won.

They actually won on OUR errors.

Mental toughness. Ya gotta have it... in sports AND in life.

You all must simply be MENTALLY PREPARED for ANYTHING this life throws at you.

You wanna know what Emmit Smith said when a reporter asked him what it takes to be the very best?

 He replied:

"What does it take to be the best? It takes Everything. And that Everything is up to you."

That's it in a nutshell. Period. End of story.

In absolutely everything we do in this lifetime, we have a responsibility to our families, ourselves..and especially to God to use all we got. We are obligated to give the world our very best, period! We must use it all leaving nothing behind...

 .....but a good, solid, inspiring legacy.

Erma Bombeck summed it up best:

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would have not a single bit of talent left and could say, 'I used everything You gave me."

Amen.

Love,
Teri