Baseball is a Metaphor for Life

What is a simple way to approach baseball which correlates to life? Play hard until the final out and deal with the outcome. It’s the only way to give yourself and your teammates a chance to win. Most games are not on cruise control. Needless to say, they never are in The Jungle. There will be battles to fought, adversity to overcome, and adjustments to be made. If you give up in the middle innings, you are going to accumulate a lot of losses. When you keep fighting till the end, your success rates will be higher, your overall perspective is clearer, and your integrity in this world will be insurmountable. The desired level of fulfillment is determined by your effort put forth. Therefore, Baseball is a Metaphor for Life.

Baseball is a Metaphor for Life
Team First

With the courage to fight comes understanding the team concept. When others fight for you, you are obligated to not let them down. By doing the same, the actions can invigorate those on your squad who have strong doubts. It lifts up others and provides them the strength to be courageous in their own vindictive notion.  

Aiding in the process of getting others to BUY IN to the to the culture creates the synergy necessary for winning. Both On and Off the field. While some players are born with this understanding, others acquire it over time. Then there are those who need to be shown the light. As a result, when the entire team unit, from top to bottom, represents the metaphor, great memories await from the transformation.  

Baseball is a Metaphor for Life
Handling the Outcomes

Losing is harsh. No doubt. However, when nothing is left on the table, the thorough effort eases the pain moving forward. As an individual cannot be solely responsible for most losses, it is mainly a helpless feeling. The experience of playing hard to the end betters the ability to cope with the struggle.

As Baseball is a Metaphor for Life, playing hard to the final out prepares for the unknown. Anything can happen. Unfortunately, it can be as devastating and soul crushing as possible. The bigger reality, is how do you handle it? Do you have the posture to keep focus on the task at hand? In pitching, that is consistently making pitches with conviction.

As I wrote about in a previous post, it is more efficient to maintain poise throughout competition than it is to turn the switch off and then back on….because sometimes it is too late. Other times, the power never comes back on. Regardless, you will never operate on the same frequency as previously.

Baseball is a Metaphor for Life
Give Yourself a Chance to WIN

The team gives up a crooked number early. The starter hit the showers in the 2nd inning. While looking at a huge deficit, the bullpen picks up the slack. Even in defeat, the losing team has to record 24-27 outs. Therefore, do so with PRIDE! Keep the game where it is. The offense will chip away, put some runs on the board, make it interesting. Who knows? Maybe tie the game and force extra innings. In the bottom, of the 12th, your opponent is forced to draw a weak hand. Their pitcher muscles up and over throws a fastball that flattens out and gets hammered….. As to no surprise, the celebration in team efforts is that much sweeter!!!

 

Keep Dominating!!!