We don’t usually get what we deserve in this life – we get what we positively expect.
Nathan was dragging his feet heading to his middle school baseball game.
“What is wrong with you?” I asked.
With a long face he replied,
“We’ll probably just lose. All we do is lose. It’s no fun.”
Tip: When you expect to lose, it’s hard to win.
I reminded him that is seemed pretty silly to spend the whole year looking forward to baseball season and then waste all these hours depressed about baseball season.
“Guess what – that pitch that comes to you at the batter’s box has no idea that you expect to lose. It has no idea that you feel bummed-out about the season. Why not look at that single pitch exactly like you would if you were state champs and it was a regional playoff game? The worst that will happen is you have fun again.”
He struggled with my idea for a moment but then decided he liked it
A few hours later, childlike enthusiasm engulfed the team as they played hard and yes, lost. I wish I could say every great expectation led to the perfect outcome, but that’s not the case. However, you can choose to enjoy the process and make adjustments for growth. That’s the path to victory.
Even though I’d seen it all, the boy gave me his own exuberant play by play of each at bat. Yes, he was mad about the loss, especially after such a close game, but at least he had recovered his swing. The next game delivered up a victory.
Your expectations play into your performance. Why not change your expectation from painful to pleasurable? You can’t control the outcome, but you can expect to do well in the process.
Think of a goal you have right now. Do you expect it to go your way? On a scale of 1-10, how much faith do you have?
Now, with positive expectation, focus on what you can enjoy as you pursue the victory.
You got this. I believe in you.
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