No one ever aspired to be a middle manager…
This is an updated post that originally appeared on my blog at strangerarray.wordpress.com.
Except me…
Let me explain.
When I was in high school I had set the bar low.
Really low.
I was a classic underachiever.
A slacker, if you will.
I took easier classes so I would have less homework.
For example we needed 3 science credits. The usual courses were Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Instead of those three I took the Biology and Chemistry, and IPC.
IPC, not to be confused with ICP (insane clown posse) is a class that was for the less smart kids. IPC was integrated physics and chemistry and was a step down from both in order to prepare kids to be able to take either.
I took it for an easy “A” and the lower effort required.
One semester I had a schedule where I had 2 hours of lunch a day!
I was an aide to an Assistant Principal during 3rd period. Third period coincided with lunch break, so to prevent headache and heartache of trying to track down students, my AP told me not to worry about it. He would see students for these 2 hours.
Instead I socialized in the lunchroom and occasionally enjoyed a second lunch.
The problem was I had low expectations of myself.
No aspirations in life.
No real plans.
I was just floating through life.
It was no wonder I got mixed up in trouble.
But those were different times. I was a different person then…
The reason I bring any of this up is that it’s almost football season again.
One time on sports radio, I heard about a football coach named Kevin Kelley.
And it works.
For non-football fans this might not mean much, but stick with me.
In my book Conspire To Inspire, I wrote this passage in the section on Theodore Roosevelt:
“When watching football I notice that most all teams punt on fourth down. If I were a coach I would go for it. I know that there is a long term strategy to the game. However, any time I see them punt it I get the sense that they are playing not to lose.
When you go for it on fourth down you are playing to win!
I want to live my life in a play it to win mentality.
I have spent too many years wasted on playing not to lose.
And guess what?
I didn’t loose (yet…).
But I didn’t win either.
I have not be happy, or successful, or creative living a life of hedging my bets and worrying about the future.
Theodore Roosevelt was winning at life.
So can you when you live to win instead of living not to lose.
When I heard there is a guy out there, Kevin Kelley, actually doing this, I was excited about using this as a winning approach to life.
If I could get 50 percent of all things I do go in my favor, I would be happy with those odds.
Kinda the reverse of the quote, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
So when I decide I am going for it, the way I look at it is that I have a 50% chance of improving. This way better than not trying and knowing 100% for sure what is going to happen.
I have decided to play and not punt.
And hopefully I will reach beyond my modest high school “dreams”.
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