PLAY TO WIN [LESSONS FROM MY FATHER]
My dad was one of my first teachers of a winner’s mindset. I was about eight-years-old playing co-ed baseball and going up for bat for the first time. The tee-ball days were over. I looked at the pitcher and silently trembled. My insides where twisting and turning. The pitcher was the best in our little league and you could see the confidence beaming from his eyes. I was a newbie, a neophyte who recently traded in her pink ballet shoes for cleats. The baseball field was an unfamiliar terrain. I stepped into the batter’s box, gripping my bat with sweaty palms, and I waited for the pitch.
“Strike one! Strike two! Strike three, you’re out!” Yelled the umpire.
What?! I was baffled. He was supposed to throw me a ball.
After the game my dad said, “you didn’t play to win, you didn’t even try. Those were good pitches. Even if you miss the ball, you need to try to hit that ball. Next time take a swing!”
He was right I wasn’t playing to hit that ball out of the park. I was playing for the walk to first. I was wishing the pitcher would throw a ball. I should have wished to hit a home run. You could either PLAY TO WIN, or you could play NOT to lose. When you play to win, winning thoughts are the dominant vibrations that run through every muscle fiber and every cell of your being, energizing you with a universal truth. Your Spirit is Victorious! When you play not to lose, fear clouds your judgment and you either make the wrong play or you freeze.
How many times have you been frozen in life? Have you ever taken the easy path–and not tried–because you were uncertain of the outcome or afraid of failure?
Playing to win is a mindset that goes beyond sports. A play-to-win mindset can be applied to business, relationships, creative projects—to everything you do in life. This lesson was forever etched in my heart and I applied it as I went on to play NCAA Division I water polo for the University of Michigan. I now teach my Ayurveda clients to embody this mindset when they are facing a health or life challenge. Playing to win is a daily practice, fear doesn’t go away, but it loses its power when you continuously face it.
Even if you miss your goal, you can still have a winner’s mentality. Just keep going for it, with all your heart. That’s what life is about. Carpe Diem. Seize the Day! Know your direction and your aim. Keep your focus on your target. GO FOR THE SWING!
“SeetaLove” with Dr. Seeta
