The Players in Your Game

His hands are steady and firm against the leathery ball, his breath is heavy and strong. His mind is focused, there is nothing else going on in his world but this one thing. He yells out to his team, like a war cry, and it begins. Everything happens fast, the battle opens, and strategies are executed.   He is looking over a sea of helmets to find an open warrior. Sweat stings his eyes, he has to be on point, dodging danger, relying on his men to keep him safe. Searching… searching…and then finally his warrior is there, open… good God how is he open in this chaos? The man blinks, his focus like a laser beam.  The ball is launched like a torpedo, cutting the air above an ocean of conflict just before he is taken down under the weight of an angry animal who has somehow broken free from his men’s defense. Below the spinning weapon, the clashing of titans, the fervent unyielding determination of giants and heroes brings a stadium of thousands to their feet. The noise waves over the fast beating hearts, assaults, and fresh wounds.  The ball finds its destination in the anticipating arms of the warrior who will do whatever it takes in his power to run it the rest of its way to victory.

This is how a poetic woman watches football. It’s becoming more than just a game for me. But, what can I say; very often things are not what they seem to those of us who think deeply.  It’s something my boyfriend enjoys, and as I have taken interest, I have learned a lot.  Not just about football, but how we can apply it to our lives.

There are certain things about any game that make it successful, and what I’d like to bring to light today is how important every single person who contributes to the game is. Just like in the game of football, there has to be certain people involved in your life for you to be a success. 

I’ve noticed that successful people are very deliberate in who they surround themselves with. If you were a player in a football game, certain people would be playing certain roles to help you be a hero.  They are also the same roles you need people to play in your everyday life to help you reach success.

A Mentor: Someone who has attained something you want to attain and has perhaps attained it in so many different ways that they have a wealth of knowledge, experience, and wisdom to offer you. Mentors are ahead of you in some way, perhaps they’ve just been doing it longer, or they have found ways to further themselves in the areas you’re looking to improve. Everyone needs a mentor.  Even mentors need mentors-someone to look up to, someone who is paving the way. A good mentor will be someone who is not in competition with you, but someone who has made their way through something and now has the drive to help others.

A Coach: Someone who may not necessarily be better than you in your trade, but knows the rules and the game so well that they can give you step by step instructions on how to be successful.  They are down on the playing field with you, however from the sidelines they can see a bigger picture, perhaps one you can’t see while you’re in it. A coach will push you to your greatness, they will help you find what position to play, and motivate you to keep going when it gets tough. A good coach will believe in you enough to challenge you and help you break through your own limitations so that you can be the best player out there.

A Healer: I’ve noticed the team of doctors, physical therapists, massage therapists, and even Reiki practitioners who are a part of a player’s recovery.  Your life is no different.  Sometimes it’s brutal out there and you need to take time to heal yourself. I’m a firm believer in receiving energy and body work, and quite honestly had it not been through healing therapies, I would have never gotten over certain heart brakes and life traumas. This also includes health coaching and nutritional counseling. Just because you read an article on facebook about green tea doesn’t mean you know a thing about nutrition.  However, there are people who dedicate their lives to knowing how your body interacts with foods, healthy supplements and exercise.  “Go with your gut,” and find someone who can help you balance your physical health to fit your lifestyle.  A good healer works with your body, mind, and energy system, to bring it back into alignment, health, homeostasis, and will fill you up again when you’ve been drained.

Cheerleaders: These are basically “yes men.” You need someone in your life who knows how to cheer you on. Someone whom you can do no wrong in their eyes. Someone who believes in you no matter how many times you fall on your face. These people can help you spread your goodness, they can help you market, and their dedication to your success keeps you going because you can’t let them down.

An Audience: This may seem like a weird one at first, because I think we innately don’t want an audience.  Most people I coach feel like they want to be seen and accepted, but they are conflicted by not wanting to be seen because they fear they won’t be accepted.  Here’s how I see it- You need an audience.  And half of them can be rooting for you, and its okay if the other half are not.  All of the naysayers of your life are simply rooting for something else.  Trust me, I have haters. I’m keenly aware of the people who are “booing” me from the stands and that some of them may even be reading this blog! But I see them as part of my audience who are just rooting for another team. For instance, if my happiness and success gets a “booooo” from the stands, I just assume these are the people who are rooting for unhappiness and scarcity.  Definitely not my team! Then just like a football player, I shake it off and hike the ball again. Football players don’t stop what they are doing when the other teams fans are mean to them. They don’t climb up the stairs of the stadium and confront the fans, nor do they change what they are doing because of them. If you have haters, watch football. Do what they do.  Can they even hear the naysayers while they are busy doing their touchdown dance?

Finally, you need other players.  Who are your team mates? And who is your opposition?  Your teammates will huddle up with you and do their part of the strategy for touchdowns.  These can be family members, people in your inner circles, close friends, and it can even be your guardian angels and ancestors who want your success.  Your opposition will be the opposing force to which you have to bust through to get your touchdowns.  Your opposition doesn’t necessarily have to be another person, perhaps it’s your own inner fears and limitations.  Sometimes it takes a whole team to bust through your own darkens, but when you have passed that goal line and your crowd goes wild… you know you’ll never be the same.

Whatever game or goal you are playing for, it’s important to have the kind of support that will get you to your own hall of fame.  It’s important to practice, practice, practice, to have a strategy and to play hard. And don’t forget that time-outs are important too so make sure to take those!

The best way to make powerful decisions in your game is to get very CLEAR. Check out my website and all I can offer you at www.clarityistheway.com

Follow me on your favorite social media platforms @clarityistheway and join me for a LIVE Periscope every Monday and Wednesday noon MST for more motivation!