This past week I’ve been reflecting on my life and how fortunate I am to have lived such an amazing life. Irrespective of the hardships, for which there have been a few especially in my childhood I’m able to see to beyond those formative years and see a rich and eclectic life full of adventures and great experiences.
There have been two important aspects that have changed the trajectory of my life.
Although becoming a father later in life, it’s been the richest and most rewards dimension of my life. I sometimes think if I hadn’t had this opportunity where I would be… I’m so proud of Zach and Sam and who they have become as adults that my heart literally busts with pride. They are individuals in their own right, but they do share some common traits for which I think I’ve played a part in shaping.
Each of them is kind and compassionate, they each understand the value of hard work and most importantly are emotionally intelligent and wise beyond their years.
The other life altering experience I’ve had in my fortunate life is the privilege of being a football coach.
Last summer on a visit to Canada for Sam’s undergraduate graduation I had an opportunity to have dinner with a couple of the guys I played and coached with back in the early 1990’s.
Both Craig and Warren were attending University at the time and as friends had decided to come and check out what Australian Rules football was all about.
Not surprisingly, as athletes they both took to the game like ducks to water and were super keen to learn the intricacies and nuances of game as best they could. So, when we got to talking over dinner, we all realised that it was much more than just a game that they learned during those years. Today, both lead successful careers and have kids of their own.
As we talked it seemed as though each of us has taken away a consistent set of life lessons that has shaped our values and lives to this day, but also these life lessons had been transferred onto all of our kids through stories and experiences. These are the common themes that came up during our conversation:
Commitment to the team and to each other and to do whatever it takes to be successful, to give 100% and do my absolute best no matter what. Always play fair but hard.
Self-belief in that you can do anything if you absolutely believe in it and go “all-in” to make it happen. The only person you have to convince is yourself, ultimately you have to believe and then go for it but never quit!
Attitude is central in the way you live your life. For me this so important, and one of the things I constantly reinforce with Zach and Sami – “each day, YOU get to choose and decide on how you want your day to be. No one else dictates that – you decide, and you alone”.
Passion is the difference maker when it comes living your life. If you’re on a team look into your teammate’s eyes, can you see the burning desire to do whatever it takes to be successful? Life is too short not to surround yourself with like-minded people. Only surround yourself with passionate and positive people – collectively you will always go a long way to achieving your goals.
Courage to lead, the courage to be first and put yourself on the line, the courage to be authentic and real, the courage to chart your own path, often in the path of adversity or against the tide of popular thinking.
It was uncanny because as we talked, we shared these similar themes through our life’s stories. Not surprisingly as I look around each of my old teammates, even beyond Craig and Warren these commonalities are clearly there, with each one of them taking these life lessons and applying it as a foundation for the amazingly rich and rewarding lives they now all lead.
Who would have thought that a recreational football team would have had such a strong influence and impact on the lives of those that played on that team. I’m not sure if any of you have seen the HBO series “Band of Brothers”, but to me the stories lines are aligned in terms of the lifelong bond that was created during our time together.
As we sat and talked over dinner, we reminisced over those years and the enjoyment that we all got from being part of the team. We had the right mix of people and chemistry to develop a strong and unique culture that has bonded us for more than 30 years and is still strong to this day.
So, when I say I’ve lived a fortunate life I think about these two cornerstone aspects of my life and reflect on the opportunities and impact that these have had. These important lessons have been used well beyond fatherhood and football and have been woven into the person I am today.
Take a moment to reflect on the lessons you’ve learned through the course of your life and the impact you’ve had by using these in other aspects of your life.
Until next week.
Ciao!
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