February 14, 2023
Written by UJJI Team
“I’ve failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
- Michael Jordan
The two quotes for this piece are from two great legends in the history of sports. Still, it turns out that between then and now, sports have shifted from the good old “have some fun” or “break a sweat” or “burn some fat” that it used to be all about, to more of a personal development thing, on both mental and physical levels. The moment you start looking at some of the mechanics in sports, how you can integrate some of its principles in your everyday life, and finally finding the right sport for you, you’d have taken a crucial step in creating one of the best versions of you.
How do you choose a sport? For example, marathon or sprint, lawn tennis or table tennis, volleyball or basketball, etc. Most athletes will tell you that it’s passion. Well, most likely, it’s because the game speaks to you on a deeper level; it could be the gameplay, the rules of the game, or even how the players dress when playing the game. You really like it, and for that reason, you say to yourself, “men, I’m gonna play that sport,” and so, you do. Also, you feel happy about yourself, even if you know that you sucked at it; first-timers and all.
Similarly, in most aspects of your life, the first real motivator in anything you are doing is enthusiasm. Once you have it, the rest is a piece of cake. Also, because it’s a sport, and you ought to have fun while at it, you will likely choose one that you can handle, another life lesson; challenges are good, but it’s better to bite as much as you can chew, even if you have a big mound of food in front of you.
Because you like that particular sport, you keep playing it. Even when people give negative remarks about how awful you play the game and say things like “hey, change your path,” or “this one isn’t for you” or the most used, “get a life.” It doesn’t stop you; you keep playing because deep down, you know that it’s more than just sport for you; it’s the path to personal development.
Because you started as a novice who sucked at the game doesn’t mean that you’ll end like that. Determination and repetition will make your skills improve. After each round, you’ll be a better player irrespective of whether you won or lost. Also, the great players we celebrate today are those that played exceptionally well while being fair that is, they played by the rules and still emerged on top.
Here is a take from all these words. Each sport is different, and so are the various challenges that you face. Like the sport, you have to be consistent until you get better and even become a pro. The question is, can you live your life like your favourite sport?
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