"Everyone has their own path..."

 Chances are, none of you have any idea who Vidal Nuno is.

 Tonight's post is inspired by him, particularly a quote on Chad Jennings' excellent New York Yankees blog.

 Vidal Nuno is a young pitcher in the New York Yankees organization. He has yet to make it to the major leagues, but ask any serious Yankees fan and they will tell you that he's sure pitching like he belongs there very soon. In big league camp as a minor league player, the lefty has perhaps been the team's most consistent starting pitcher in camp. Of course, this is Spring Training, and a lot of your established veterans are on special schedules that they are comfortable with, but that's what leads to opportunities for minor league players like Nuno. Here's his take on his Spring Training performance so far.

 “Everyone has their own path,” he said. “It’s about them taking a chance on you. They gave me all the chances they could, and it’s about working hard every day. Just try to keep up what I’ve been doing, and see how it ends in the season.”

 Talk about hitting the nail on the head, wow how right is he? I not only agree with him, but as someone also working down their own path and working toward opportunities, I can empathize.

 Nuno is right in saying that we all have our own individual paths that we are on to get where we are going. I tell my players all the time, no two jump shots are the same. There are fundamental concepts we incorporate as shooters, but everyone has their own way. The same can be said for our paths. In Nuno's case, how many tens of thousands of guys have played major league baseball? The end result of getting there might be similar, but no two individual careers are the same.

 The next part of that quote talks about chances. I'm also waiting on someone to take a chance on me, professionally. I'm not alone. There are so many of us out there, primed and ready to take off when our number is called. Or are we? See that's crucial there, and this quote serves as a reminder, that when you get a chance from someone, you better be ready. Nuno tells us the key to that, working hard every day.

 And it's hard to "keep doing what [you're] doing." We are winners, and therefore we are impatient. We have success and we don't stop to celebrate, we go looking for more. But his message of patience is accurate, because you can't let your readiness or performance slip because you are frustrated, angry, or beleaguered. We are building strong mental toughness through these trials and tribulations. All you can do, is all you can do. If you can look yourself in the mirror and say you did just about everything you could, then you can trust that it just wasn't meant to be, and it wasn't up to you.

 Lastly, Nuno acknowledges the fact that at some point, it ends. No matter how well he pitches, one day this struggle will be over (at the end of Spring Training in this case). There's a more definite ending though, because one day he will throw his last pitch, just as I will coach my last game, or just as we all one day will take our last breath. One day we will not be able to do the things we love anymore, so why do we waste the opportunities we have to do them now?

 Whether or not Vidal Nuno pitches in a game for the Yankees this season, or ever at all for that fact, is to be determined. That decision is not up to him, he doesn't just show up to Yankee Stadium on Opening day and present himself. What is up to him is how hard he works, and how much preparation and effort he is willing to put in to make it happen. Until then, we live in our own realities, and stay focus on our own paths, the paths that God has set out for us to find and utilize.

 I have to say though, it's kind of hard not to root for Vidal Nuno.

-TP

Expect to Win

 In a world where not everything is in your control, your mindset is one of the most critical aspects that you have command over. Let's face, unfortunately we run into situations where no matter what we do, or how hard we work, the outcome is just out of our hands. It's a terrible feeling, because people who are in charge of making those decisions do get them wrong. I can say that I've served as a witness to that many times.

 But your mindset and approach are up to you. I'm here to tell you that it's best to attack every challenge, every opportunity with the expectation that you're going to win. You are going to win. You are not going to be beaten. You have worked harder, prepared better, and you're very good at what you do, so when the ball goes up on the first whistle, you know that when the final buzzer sounds, you're going to be the victor.

 On my blog I encourage you to live in your own reality, because it's often the person with the strongest reality that succeeds. Realize that you play the game for one reason, to win. Having fun, making friends, blah blah blah, it's all secondary. Winning has to be the priority. It's why we are here, to find success.

 Of course, I'm making a comparison based on athletics, so here's a few other examples. Why do you go on a job interview? To get the job. You are competing against other candidates, and you want to be the one that wins. I have enjoyed the past 8 months away from the television industry (and yes, I do appreciate everyone who misses my work, you guys are the best), but why did I go to work, why did we produce newscasts? Some people might answer that they are there to make money, there because they enjoy it, or there to provide a public service. The number one reason should be to win, to be the best news outlet in the market, the best at your particular role. You can do all of those other things through your focus on being the best.

 When I was playing, one of my favorite motivational quotes was, "You control who's the best player on the floor." Ask some of my players today, and I've told them that time and time again. I'm a believer. The first step toward being the best is wanting to be the best.

 There's a certain aura about a person who walks into a situation and knows they are going to be successful. Hater call it cockiness or arrogance, but I believe it can be real, if that person is willing to put the work in to set themselves up for success. One of the huge things I preach is that you are confident because you prepared, and you worked the hardest. What good comes of showing up a defeatist? In the back of your mind, when you know you don't stand a chance, you are already dooming yourself. We've all been there, it's a helpless feeling.

 I may not be in the best spot right now, and at times the stress has really gotten to me. However I am blessed, every minute of every day. I can't enjoy any environment where there's no challenge every day, where there's no competition, and no winning to be done. That's why I do what I do, because I can't see myself doing much of anything else. Certain things just aren't good for certain people. So as tough as it is, I persevere with my goals in mind.

 When I wake up tomorrow morning, I'll start with a prayer as I always do. I'll thank God for another day, another chance to be great. I'll ask Him to help me take advantage of the opportunities He has provided. That's what I know I need to do, everyday, just rise, shine, and give the Lord the glory. And then I'll go tackle all that the day brings, but not once will the thought of losing or failing at a task cross my mind. I hate that feeling too much. Winning is my expectation. Make it yours.

-TP