This Is Your One At-Bat

This article was originally published in September 2016.

I think sports offer the best ways to learn about life. Yes, they are only games, but they’re more than that. Whether it is working hard, being disciplined, or working with a team, every game has principles that can be applied to life.

So let’s talk about baseball and life.

You only have one at bat in life. You don’t have another shot.Once you strike out, walk, or get a hit, it’s over.

The beautiful thing about life as opposed to baseball is that you decide what the outcome will be.

Striking out is like trying hard to reach a goal, but never actually achieving it. You’re swinging at every ball that comes your way, but just can’t connect with it. This is totally fine, if you’re trying, that’s all that matters. This is when you have to like what you are doing. You have to be in love with the process, not the actual outcome.

It’s common for baseball players to strike out looking. Don’t let this happen in life. Take every opportunity you can to get that hit.

Walking is equivalent to letting life pass you by. You may get some really good balls to hit, but it never really amounts to anything worth going for. You’ll still reach first base, but it’s not up to you whether you’ll get to 2nd, 3rd, or even home plate. Don’t walk and let someone else decide your future.

And that leaves getting a hit. Getting a hit is when all your hard work pays off. You may have missed some balls, passed on some strikes, but this hit made it all better.

The beautiful thing about life as opposed to baseball is that numbers don’t matter.

It doesn’t matter how many swings you take, how many strikes you have, or how many balls you have. The only thing that matters is that you’re trying.

You can go your whole life looking at strikes or swinging at balls, but at the end of the day, that one home run will make all those swings worth it.

One may ask how to get more pitches thrown to you. It’s easy. Go outside, meet new people, get involved, become a part of a community, and be nice to everyone you meet. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, life is about people.

Opportunities will come your way. Some you will pass on, some you will work hard for, but may never amount to anything, and some will be a success.

When the lights go off at the end of the game, make sure you’re happy with your performance. That’s all you can really worry about. What are you doing everyday to get that home run?

Just like baseball, you have to practice batting in life. As you get more experienced, you’ll be able to distinguish between strikes and balls that can lead to a hit.

So are you going to get a hit or strike out looking?