I recently had a former player visit me, and during one of our conversations, he said, “Coach, you're the richest man I know.” I laughed and, of course, responded sarcastically, “Yes, I’m the richest man you know—seven kids, a wife who stays home, and we live on a coach's salary!” But then he flipped the perspective and said, “Yes, you are the richest man I know because you have a wife who loves you, seven amazing, healthy children, a job you love, and a faith in God that makes all things joyful.”
It wasn’t that I didn’t already know these things, but in that moment, I quickly realized how much I had been taking for granted. It’s easy to get caught up in the desires of the flesh or look at others and think, If only I had what they have, then I’d be happy, then I’d be successful. This happens all the time in the sports world, both with athletes and coaches. Instead of appreciating our own blessings, we often look at others and rarely feel satisfied with where we are.
I want to challenge you to adopt a new perspective—a perspective of gratitude. What might you be overlooking that makes your life—on and off the field—great? Research shows that gratitude can improve performance because individuals who recognize the positive aspects of their lives are often more confident in their abilities. They stay grounded in the process of excellence rather than riding the emotional highs and lows of performance outcomes.
Since my perspective shift, what used to seem like “not enough” has become an abundant blessing. I needed to be reminded to stop seeing my world through the lens of what I want or might desire, but instead, through the lens of what I already have. God has been so good to me in my life, and if you look closely, you’ll see Him at work in yours.
Never forget, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17)