Remember that good ole Notre Dame Fighting Irish banner? There has been a theme in my office this week. Odd how that happens, but it seems to pretty often, and when it does, I take it as the nod to blog about it. So this week’s topic is about motivation: playing the game of life like a champion! Seems fitting for the start of another year.
What exactly does that mean, do you think…playing life like a champion? What constitutes a “successful life”? For one person, it might mean an ample bank account. For another it might mean family and lots of kids and grandkids. For yet another, it might mean leaving a legacy or having their name in some sort of history book.
I saw a meme on Facebook the other day about looking at your life from your deathbed. In fact, I will sometimes ask people deathbed type questions like “When you think about looking back on your life from the day you die, what will you hope to leave behind?” How would you answer this question if I were to ask you that today?
I am reminded of the movie Jerry MaGuire. In that movie, Rod Tidwell tells Jerry that he wants him to help him find “the quan.” What he was talking about was success with the whole package….finances, love, fulfillment at work, feeling peaceful…all of it. Is this possible? And if you feel like it’s not possible for you for some reason, which part of your life is the most important for you to work on? Which part is going to be the most important to you on your deathbed?
If you said your family and your relationships are number one for you, what are you doing to make sure those relationships are healthy? It is so easy to get mired in the grind of work…all the while telling yourself that you are doing it “for your family.” But what if your family would rather have less money and more of you? Maybe you are so driven to feel competent in your job that you are deaf to the cries of those who need you the most. Maybe you are so consumed with ambition in one area that another area suffers completely. You might say, “I make a lot of money, but I never see my kids’ basketball games.” Or maybe you could say, “I have plenty of time with my family, but I have felt miserable inside for years.”
It’s time to find some balance. Is 2016 the year, or are you going to settle for doing what you’ve always done and getting the same results? Are you going to be your own “ambassador of quan,” or spend another year marking time and waiting for your own deathbed question to come for real…when it’s too late to change the outcome? The choice is yours. It’s your life and you are the only one who can live it. Will you play like a champion this year?
My best wishes for you in your life…Play like a champion and go get your quan!
Healing Hearts provides counseling services to the surrounding communities of Indianapolis, Fishers, Carmel, Zionsville, Westfield, Noblesville, and Geist. E-Counseling is available for residents of Indiana. Call or text today to set up your appointment. 317-218-3038
© 2016 Nancy Eisenman, MSW, LSW
Our Blog