I copy and pasted this from my LinkedIn page (what a website) and this line on the left magically appeared. I do not know, or frankly care, to find out how to remove it. Please enjoy.
Fun soccer (ay man WHAT THE HELL is AI on lmaoo, this is the image for “Fun soccer”? I’m dying)
If framed correctly, sports are a great parallel for life. The lessons learned on the pitch translate to lessons off it.
A word garnering much discussion these days is “integrity”, doing the right thing without seeking outside validation, acknowledgement or reward. “Integrity” means doing the right thing is the reward itself.
This is the winger who makes run after run, many times never receiving the ball. Constantly opening up space for teammates and providing lanes for someone else to shoot and score. For someone else to receive the glory.
But they sacrifice anyways, knowing that glory is ultimately the team’s and they also bask in it. So they make run after run, without knowing if they’ll receive the ball or not, but with knowing it's the right thing to do. They trust that by getting into the right position over and over, the ball will find them when it’s meant to.
It’s the 6, running around putting out fire after fire, while the 10 indulges themselves. They are allowed to test the limits of their creativity, attempting to dribble through multiple lines of defenders, losing the ball, pouting, and then taking their sweet time transitioning to defense.
The 6 knows they’re covering for someone else, while doing the especially thankless work of defending. They run and run, knowing that when one of the 10’s fancy dribbles finally works and leads to a goal, they will be hailed as a genius. They’ll receive the praise and adulation. But the 6 persists, knowing in their heart that doing the right things matters, regardless of whether it’s acknowledged or not.
That integrity on the field, becomes a model for us off the field. How hard will you work when no one’s acknowledging your efforts? Will you do the right thing even when it’s tough? Do you believe doing the right thing is its own reward?
Will you swallow your pride and de escalate situations where you’ve been disrespected, without seeking revenge? Will you forgive those who never apologized, knowing that holding grudges hurts you the most? Will you advocate for yourself and others, even when people try to convince you caring makes you weak? How will you persist during tough times?
I hope you continue to make that run, continue to put out fires, continue to do the right thing and benefit your team aka your community. Trust yourself, lead yourself and set a good example. That in and of itself, is a glorious thing.
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