Tug of War and Basketball with Elephants

I thought of the C2P Principle, and urge you while digesting "CONSUMED" to ironically not become "overloaded/consumed" with dismissing a lot of other stuff, to wrestle with more big stuff you bite off more than you can chew! The essence is to discover your passion, love, and where you feel significance so you may invest your focus and time into it vs. "add more". Just reminding!







While at the gym today, I was running on the treadmill for my warm up. While dusting off my rusty bones, I was looking through the large glass in front of me, seeing how beautiful it was outside, and enjoying the sunny day, while inside. I also thought of how ironic it was to walk to the treadmill, as one usually trudges to this device to get a work out, when all the while you could be maximizing your time and utility while on the path to the treadmill!




My mind races as my heart beat rises, sweat forming, and feeling like I am getting some work done to keep my body healthy, I reflected on how life feels like a treadmill with a brick wall in front of you, full of pictures of items you constantly pursue or are pushed upon you, but earning it or grasping it is like being on this treadmill. To add fuel to the fire, I didn't have a brick wall with fun photos or a dream wall, but a relaxing day through the window that I couldn't' touch. I felt like a caged animal in the zoo that could see access to freedom, but was so downtrodden, exhausted, hungry, and thirsty, that the lack of achieving or reaching my goals made me a tired and droopy, once wild, free, and energized animal.


I then envisioned the situations I have wrestled with personally and professionally over the years, and had a mental picture of me playing tug of war with a elephant. I noticed the elephant toying with me, and I kept on struggling. I would pull the rope with all my might, even pushing through the rope burn, and not letting go. I persisted through, until my hands bled, and the skin tore off so much that I could not endure the pain any longer.



Then, I asked myself, why am I playing tug of war with this elephant?! The goal was to go around this elephant, to get to the base of the beautiful mountain behind it, and climb to new and exciting heights for new views. Maybe I shouldn't be fighting with this elephant, but teaming up, and riding it into the mountain! You won't win tug of war with elephants and mountains, "It's like being in a rocking chair, gives you something to and you're moving, but not going anywhere!". You're comfortable, busy, and can see out to nice places, but never go there.



I then thought of my love of basketball, and how much it taught me about life. You could be the biggest, baddest, fastest, and most talented basketball player, but without the love of the game, working with teammates, and continuously learning and moving your feet to adapt to the numerous situations that arise during the game, you are merely another game player, or mediocre.



I thought of how the combination of physical and mental attributes, preparation, and a servant leadership approach to playing the game were how the heroes of the game became legends. They faced "elephants" in their life, and dribbled, ran, set picks, passed the ball, defended, blocked, and shot over their obstacles to achieve significant success. The top players in the game will tell you, "I had to let go of my ego, practice, and listen to others that are better, and more intelligent than me, as well as work with my team to learn". You have to be realistic about your abilities, improve where you can, discover opportunities, work hard, keep moving and provide momentum, maneuver with suave smartness, and do it all with passion. Citizens do with while being mildly present. Legends do this while practicing while everyone else is sleeping, or busy with distractions, all while enduring, and even embracing the painful sacrifices that piggy backs with achieving greatness.



I thought of this as it related to the tug of war games I have played in my life, and all too often, I was in the wrong game, didn't practice or prepare enough, allowed ego to consume me, my goals or focus weren't in the correct place, or I utilized my passionate persistence which is great, but just did it in the wrong place and time, with the wrong people.




You must become a conduit to life, and filter our opportunities from junk. We have so much thrown our way, so much time to wrestle or play tug of war with certain desires we have, distractions, and temptations. It is our job to do the work of being aware, in tune, intentional, and engaged with what is opportunity, and what is wasting our time. As such, being a filter means being a connector, not just from opportunities to you, but from opportunities to you, and you to others. Perhaps you know of someone looking for a job, you can't help them, so you stop there. "Producers" take it a set further, assess who they know, companies hiring, the goals of the person connecting with them, and follow up with advice, a connection, and related support. "Consumers" hear the request, are immediately defensive internally ("Why is this person bothering me, I am busy as it is, and am trying to get all I can while I am here"), and selfishly do not listen to the request, let alone go beyond being present while hearing such a request.

My example of an elephant, basketball player, job seeker, and related content are simple metaphors, and examples of things we have more than likely heard in our lives such as =

• "Actions speak louder than words"
• "If life hands you lemons, make lemonade"
• "Do unto others, as you would like them to do unto you"
• "The best way to live your life, is to follow the advice you give to others"
• "No person is an island"
• "You don't achieve success without the help of others"
• "Be present"
• "Balance"
• "If you rest, you rust"

Maybe we did learn a lot of what we needed to while we were kids in the sandbox. Respect, sharing, kindness, caring, integrity, listening, ...