In the spring of 2015, I had the honor of being one of two speakers at the Greater Middlesex Conference Sportsmanship Banquet. A banquet room at the Edison Pines Manor was filled to capacity with student-athletes from all 36 member schools, their parents, coaches, and school administrators. What do you say to a room full of student-athletes that have already demonstrated a unique ability to rise above their competitive circumstances? I don’t intend to undermine how much time I spent preparing to speak publicly (I spend a lot of time prepping) , but this one was easy. All I had to do was get this room full of incredible student-athletes to see how what they were already doing could apply to their life outside of the limelight of competition. Without further ado, here is how I believe anyone in any situation can R.R.R.R.R.ise above their circumstances….
Never underestimate how much your RELATIONSHIP matters to others.
I believe that we are relational beings. Not only do we desire to have relationships with others, but also how we relate to others matters. A lot! Each setting a person finds himself or herself in is like a pond. You simply cannot introduce someone new or remove someone from the pond without causing a ripple effect. Every one of us matters. YOU MATTER! When a person finds themselves in tough circumstances one of the questions that is often asked is, ‘what does it even matter’ or ‘I don’t even matter.’ This could not be further from the truth! When a person holds onto the fact that they matter, it gives purpose to their actions and relationships even in the direst of circumstances. They begin to realize that they can positively or negatively affect any situation they find themselves in. I often say to my student-athletes, ‘when you have a big vision for yourself, the small work matters’. I would like to amend that statement for the purpose of encouraging people to rise above their circumstances: ‘When you have an accurate vision of yourself, YOU MATTER!’
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