By Luke Melms
Baseball is a game of peaks and valleys. It always has been and always will be. We have all experienced storms in life. Baseball is a game where in the midst of an 0 for 20 feels like the storm will never end.
Living in South Florida not far from the coast, I evacuated South Florida recently to safer ground to stay with my brother in Tennessee as Hurricane Irma approached. In total about 7 million Floridians left the state which clogged freeways trying to get out to neighboring states and eventually back in. On my drive, Google Maps multiple times on the drive there and back rerouted me using back roads to eventually re-enter the freeway while going around accidents causing major delays.
As I thought about how valuable this tool was as I drove on these unfamiliar roads, it got me thinking about Baseball and Business and how it is aimed at doing the same for the community as a whole. Current and former players face scenarios and decisions frequently that are uncharted territory. The only way to solve our problems is to move forward with some guidance from a source that can see beyond what you can.
We are all very conscious of where we are and have ideas on where we want to eventually whether it be in baseball, business or our personal life. The power of GPS is that it knows not only where you are but without question exactly where you want to be. Learning from others who’ve gone out ahead and already done what you’re looking to do can provide detours around the spots that are susceptible to hangups. It doesn’t mean you can avoid the work altogether but can learn from the lesson others learned along their way.
The last couple weeks have provided some great stories through former players with all uniquely different stories within the game and after it as well. The common thread though is the resiliency to bounce back after baseball ended. Part of our DNA as baseball players is developing the skill to move on versus allowing our previous game or at bat to effect the current moment.
As the baseball season wraps up, some have seen it unfold as expected and others not so much. The future will always be unknown. However, there can be beauty in these unexpected spots even when it doesn’t go the way we want. We can only control so much. Our only choice is to embrace the moment.
Above was a picture I took at a park Sunday night in the city I stayed for a few days. Between the mountains, unique shades in the sunset and the baseball field backdrop, it was quite a sight. Meanwhile at the same time in Florida the hurricane had made landfall. It’s important that we realize everything is happening with a purpose. None of us avoid driving at night because we can only see 200 feet in front of us. We trust the process. We know we’ll see further once we get another 200 feet ahead. Life works the same way whether it is baseball or business. Let’s embrace where we are today and work to move a step closer to where we want to be.
Luke Melms is the Founder of Baseball and Business. Click here to connect with him on LinkedIn.
