Game changers stand up to be counted when called upon
THE SMALLEST CHANGES CAN HAVE AN IMPACT BUT WE NEED TO INSTIL CONFIDENCE IN YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO MAKE THOSE ALL-IMPORTANT DECISIONS, WRITES ANNA GEARY
THE average person faces almost 800,000 choices in their lifetime, and may I add, ends up regretting 150,000 of those made!
The spur of the moment decisions made in a match can sometimes have a dramatic effect on the outcome. Think back to the All-Ireland Football Final between Dublin and Mayo. Would Mayo have captured a famous win had Lee Keegan not committed the black card offence (which was harsh in my opinion). After all, he was pivotal to Mayo’s attack having already scored the opening goal for the Connacht men.
In order to make the best choices, we need to evaluate our options, weigh up the pros and cons and ponder the consequences of different decisions.
Stepping away from Cork Camogie was one of the toughest choices I have ever made. While it was not without risk, equally it was not impulsive.
The truth is, none of us really know where a road will lead us, until we take it. There are no guarantees. Nobody said that deciding was an easy task. It takes courage to make choices and to subsequently own those choices regardless of the outcome. If we refuse to choose, then life will choose for us and sometimes that may not be the direction in which we want to go.
Often we have to make decisions and choices without the luxury of time. In the heat of battle on a playing field, you may have a split second to make a decision. It is then that you need to trust your instincts. If it feels wrong, then it probably is.
How many players have got involved in ‘off the ball’ incidents and have immediately regretted it (refer to the 150,000 decisions in opening paragraph)? While their gut may have told them it was the wrong action to take, they ignored their better judgement and did it anyway. All you can do is hope they learn from it and don’t re-offend.
As an athlete, if you are unhappy with an aspect of your performance, you look to change it in some way. You have to then make a choice to commit to it and follow through. The smallest change can have an impact. Life is much the same; you need to adapt in order to conquer.
In Ireland we don’t give ourselves credit for having the courage to try things, even if they don’t work out.
That worries me, as we need to instil confidence in younger people to not be afraid to make choices, in sporting arenas and throughout life. We need to teach them to react positively to failure and to learn from bad choices.
I spoke at ‘Zeminar’ during the week, the inaugural threeday seminar held in the RDS for the current crop of 15 to 20 year-olds otherwise known as Generation Z. My message was simple: “embrace the power you have to make choices”.
I referenced my favourite poem ‘Our Deepest Fear’. The last line states, ‘as we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others’.
To me that means who cares if we fail, stumble, or struggle sometimes, at least we are doing it. We are choosing to try. That’s where the adventure starts. And by you doing that, others will be inspired by you to do the same.
We need to encourage our youth to take risks, make choices and become game changers, mind changers and life changers.
Game changers in sport, standing up to be counted when it’s needed most; mind changers in business as their creativity can challenge how things are currently done and can alter people’s perceptions; life changers in society as if they make one person’s life better then they have chosen wisely.
Always back yourself to make the right decisions. Don’t let others make your decisions for you. After all, life is about who you are and not letting anyone else decide who you should be.
The choices we make will determine not just what we want to do in life but, more importantly, who we want to be.
OFTEN YOU HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS AND CHOICES WITHOUT THE LUXURY OF TIME. IN THE HEAT OF BATTLE ON A PLAYING FIELD , YOU MAY HAVE TO MAKE A SPLIT SECOND DECISION