The only thing that matters is the next play...

Sundays..oh Sundays; A day for lounging, laziness, and pure relaxation. This past Sunday was especially relaxing. I had a great Saturday night and I actually, for once, had a great night of sleep. I woke up and tuned into E-Life’s live online feed and then got caught up on my DVR recordings. By noon on Sunday I sprawled out on my couch and couldn’t have been more comfortable. 

Unfortunately, this state of relaxation was short lived. At 1pm on Sunday I got a call from a friend I have not seen or spoken to in a long time. I was pretty shocked that he called actually. It’s probably been nearly 5 years since we last spoke. I really couldn’t remember why it had been so long. Initially nothing came to mind as to why our friendship faded. Anyways, I was mildly excited to talk with him. We’re guys so getting caught on life was quick and to the point. He is not married, has a girlfriend, no kids, has a job, still likes to party, and had some updates on a few of our old friends. It probably took us roughly 4 minutes to get fully caught up…Ladies, it’s a man thing. 

Well as we kept talking, he was complaining more and more about random things. He’s my boy so at first I was chiming in with negative remarks to help fuel his rants. But soon I realized that the good mood I had before the call was gone. I felt irritable, angry, annoyed, etc…It was weird though, I was still lounging on my couch and everything around me was the same. The only thing that changed was the phone call. He went on and on with one complaint after another. Eventually, I had to rush him off the phone because my boy had me so hyped that I was ready to fight someone.  I was actually pacing..in my own home! After I calmed myself down, I couldn’t help but sit there and rack my brain as to why I went from so calm to so angry it that little bit of time. Finally, I realized it had to be one thing. Many of you are probably thinking it was his negativity that changed my mood. But it wasn’t him. Rather, I was to blame. I and I alone have control of my moods. So at some point during our conversation I was responsible for allowing him to affect my mood. 

This interaction with my “friend” inspired my thoughts for today’s blog post. It made me think about something my college coaches used to teach us. It was ingrained into our minds that regardless what happened during a game, the only thing that mattered was the next play. If you threw an interception, missed a block, or fumbled the ball..forget about it. The only thing that mattered was the next play. Since my playing days, I have done my best to incorporate this philosophy into my everyday life. We all know life can be rough, to say the least. For many of us, we feel as if once things start to go well another incident occurs that’s knocks us back a couple steps. You know what? Its ok! What matters most is what happens next…meaning, how will you respond? Are you going to let that incident or situation negatively affect your mood? Or will you rally your spirits and your mind to battle that adversity? Don’t let yourself be defeated. Be strong! Pick yourself up and keep moving forward. Just think, what’s done is done. You being upset or feeling defeated will not change the past. So why toil with that negativity? 

Don’t get me wrong, this is a lot easier said than done. There are times when you’ll be hit with life’s fury and the blow couldn’t be any more severe. Personally, I have had this happen to me more times than I would like in my short 26 years. However, believe me when I say, each time I accepted what has happened and made myself respond by continuing to move forward…the weight of that situation seems to get a bit lighter. So when I say the only thing that matters is how you respond, I am not just speaking from my time on the field, but also from real life experiences. 

Listen, I am not saying you shouldn’t hurt when those emotions are warranted. And I am not saying you should never feel angry or overwhelmed. What I am saying though is those feelings should be short lived. Regardless of what has went down…shake it off, get back to the “huddle,” and prepare yourself mentally, emotionally, and physically for the next “play.”

Here’s to taking life’s punches, always getting back up, and continuing to move forward.

Justin