Be yourself, everyone else is taken
Robert Brault once said,
“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realise that they were the big things.”
I read this quote and spent a few moments contemplating some of the little things in my life.
Breakfast around the table with the kids.
Walking Dusty (our trusty golden retriever) in the bush out the back of our place.
Talking to my staff about their families and hobbies.
Playing table tennis with the boys.
Before the end of the year, think of someone who has been a positive influence on your life.
Someone who has encouraged you.
Someone who has inspired you.
Someone who has given you some outstanding advice.
Someone who has been there when the chips were down.
Have you ever tried running in sand?
It’s hard work.
You feel as though you’re expending a lot of energy, but not making much progress.
Your legs are sore.
Your chest hurts.
It’s all a bit too hard.
I recently saw a photo of a cheetah chasing a young gazelle.
Her eyes were completely focused on her prey.
Nothing distracted her.
She was fixated.
She had to be.
Each of us has a unique combination of skills, experience and passions.
There is an impact and level of influence that only you can have.
There is a purpose and calling that is exclusive to you, and you alone.
And there are moments in life when it all comes together.
On my Twitter feed this week, a fellow Tigers supporter posted a photo of the Richmond VFL team from 1919 after they had lost the grand final to their archenemies, Collingwood.
In the photo, every player was beaming and the caption simply said,
Are we downhearted?
No.
What a wonderful attitude in the face of disappointment.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said,
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
What a wonderful thought.
That we can each play our part in changing the world.
Not through dramatic acts that seem beyond our capabilities.
American writer and historian, Will Durant once said,
Forget mistakes, forget failures, forget everything, except what you’re going to do now and do it. Today is your lucky day.
There are times when our past threatens to rob us of our future.
When our mistakes and failures remind us of our frailty and inadequacies.
I wish I could tell you otherwise, but the reality is that you won’t always win.
You can practice and prepare and perform to the very best of your abilities, but the results won’t always go your way.
Sometimes, your opponent is better.
Sometimes, you’re just not good enough.
Sometimes, the deck is stacked against you.
Sometimes, there is no clear reason for the loss.
Nevertheless, the scoreboard doesn’t lie.
Our oldest son is in the middle of school exams at the moment and is moderately stressed about it.
They make up 25% of his end of year mark, so he wants to do reasonably well, especially in his favourite subjects.
We go through a lot of tests in life.
School tests.
Driving tests.
