Don’t Be Afraid…
It’s a weekly occurrence—if not daily—that I tell one of my athletes to do something they’re uncomfortable or unsure of doing. Their almost immediate response is, “I can’t do that,” or “That’s too heavy Coach!” After prodding, they do what’s asked, most of the time with ease. Over and over, I rack my mind, striving to figure out why these athletes don’t trust themselves to push beyond their perceived limitations. But I think I found the answer, and it has much more to do with my tendencies now and when I was an athlete.
We are afraid of the greatness within us.
When I played sports in high school, I never wanted to look like I was trying too hard for fear of failure. Who wants to put 100% of their effort into something, and those efforts come up short? For most, that’s reason enough to give up. For others, they don’t give effort because once their coaches see what they’re capable of accomplishing, they're aware their effort will be expected of them all the time. But underlying both mentalities is a fear of who we are.
Regardless of your beliefs, you are a fearfully and wonderfully made individual. The odds of you being alive on Earth, the only technological species in the history of the Galaxy, is 1 in 60 billion, according to the Drake equation. And when you consider the odds of you just being alive, those odds are practically zero, according to Dr. Ali Binazir. Just check out this chart for a visualization:
And when you consider all the human body capabilities—from its self-healing and intelligence to its strength and speed capabilities—you are truly remarkable.
So consider all the goals, ideas, or projects you’ve put off because you’ve limited yourself. What might just happen if you started it today? Yes, sacrifices are required, and it might not be easy. But when has anything worth achieving been easy?
Don't be afraid of what you can achieve this week.
One more thing: I’m taking my advice from last week’s post and resting! So no Monday Morning Coach next week as I gear up for our first blog series!
Happy Halloween!