It's never fun to give up a home run. After firing what you thought was a good pitch you see it take off like a rocket off the bat of your opponent.
From the moment it's hit, you know it's going to leave the park. You really do. You have a natural reflex to follow the ball with your eyes, so you turn and watch as your outfielder just looks back helplessly. What you don't realize is that while you are facing the fence the hometown crowd has clear view of the name of the pitcher who just gave up that home run. It's written right across my back, "OLMOS." So their eyes go from ball sailing into orbit to OLMOS, watch it clear the fence to OLMOS, and then with the ball gone they just look at OLMOS and shake their heads.
We all give up home runs. We all lose games. We all endure those long tortuous losing seasons. We make bad decisions that affect our business, our relationships, our family. And sometimes, it's NOT our decision that causes the failure. It's just life. We throw a good pitch, but it's still hit out of the park.
You feel like you are doing everything right, but still you are fading, struggling, or failing. Those are the times that make you want to cuss in the car, or pound your fist on your desk, or worse yet, drink till it doesn't hurt anymore (a road to self-destruction). But, it doesn't have to be that way.
Here is a timeless piece of wisdom that is applied by all who succeed. It's simple to understand, hard to do. Here it is: Never give up. Ever. Never stop fighting, never stop trying, don't put down your sword or lower your shield. Does it hurt? Yes. Is it humiliating? Yes. Does it make you want to cut and run? Absolutely. Do you quit? Never. Ever. Never.
In every uniform is a human being who can feel. The home runs sting. The two-out rallies, when you can't get that third out, frustrate. So how do we steel ourselves in those tough situations that make us want to pack it all in?
First, have a short memory. When does a good pitcher forget a home run? Answer: The moment he walks back up the mound for the next pitch. I know what you are thinking..."No way! He must stew in it for a while!" Nope. It's gone. It's done. Take a short breath, gather yourself and go after the next batter. That's a great lesson for those times we suffer a great set-back. We can stomp our feet (like a baby) or blame someone else like our co-workers or spouse or boss, we can wallow in a pool of adolescent self-pity for weeks, OR we can take a short breath, fix our hat, tighten our glove, get the new ball from the umpire and re-engage. A short memory means that we refuse to allow the home run to define us. That leads to the next point.
Be your biggest fan. In other words, don't stop believing in yourself. Even if every fan in the stands is shaking their head or booing, you need to make sure that your "self-talk" is something like this. "Okay, that hurt. It's over. Now, pitch with the passion and fury that got you here in the first place. Don't let up. Don't give in. Stay strong. You can do this!" Any of us can survive when they stop cheering in the bleachers. But none of us can go on when the one in the mirror quits on us. The Bible says, "As a man thinks, so he is." Never give up on yourself. Don't let failure define you.
Ah, but what about the heckler? The one booing you and jeering at you and hoping with all their being that you will fail and be humiliated? If you want to succeed you need to outlast your critics. The truth is that in a fallen world with imperfect people you will create enemies. You will have those who, for whatever reason, hate you and just want you to fail. Best advice on that...ignore them. Answer them with what you do on the field. Don't lower yourself to their level and answer back, unless they break the law or cross the line too far. Then you get a lawyer with cowboy boots and let him loose on them. But don't allow their hatred and bitterness and anger to invade your world. Outlast them, keep moving forward toward success. Learn to be "deaf" to their nonsense. Or as one man put it, "consider the source" and let it evaporate into the air.
On the other hand you intentionally fill your life with things that will keep wind in your sails. In baseball it's easy. Just ask yourself, "why am I out here again?" Answer: To win. And so you stay committed to the things that lead to victory. And also remember, it's a team sport. You are not alone.
With that in mind, when you are struggling through a tough season remember WHY are you there. What is your purpose? What is your goal? It's time to recast your vision for your life. And do the things that refresh that vision. It might be watching a favorite movie, taking a run, listening to a soundtrack, or reading a favorite book. Vision needs fuel to be combustible in your life. Fuel it and keep that passion burning.
When things start to clog up inside do something physical. Remember you are a human being that is a union of mental, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual qualities that all relate to each other. I'd suggest a nice long run/walk, or a swim, or a hike. I love putting on boxing gloves, listening to my iPod, and hitting a heavy bag for half an hour. Sometimes you need that healthy outlet to bleed off excess emotion that is clouding your character. By the way, while you are at it, ask God for some direction and strength as well.
The last three ideas are worth whole articles, but here they are. When you are in a season of struggle ask for help from the right sources. Don't be too proud to get a fresh set of eyes on your situation. Also, don't take yourself too seriously. Failure doesn't destroy anyone. How they respond to it is what can destroy them. So you gave up a home run...that happens in life. Now get yourself in gear and move on. Leave it in the dust of the past. And finally, be sure that you've found something worth dying for, because if you haven't, you're not quite ready to live. Those are the causes of our soul that keep life (and failure) in perspective and make us impervious to quitting.
So, here's the next baseball. Get back on the mound and lets do this thing called life and kick a little butt while we're at it.
