When Life Throws You A Curveball
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Whether you like baseball or not, you are in the game. Let me share a story with you why.
It was December 30, 2013.
Friends and family members were in town. Everyone had just enjoyed all of the Christmas festivities. My brother and I were meeting up with some friends to play basketball. I was having a great first game, when someone stepped on the back of my heel causing me to fall to the floor for 5-10 minutes. It felt as if someone took a bat to the back of my ankle.
I feared the worst, but with little optimism I arose to my feet in hopes of finishing the game. I was praying it was a strain, sprain, bruise, contusion, or even an illusion. Anything, but what I thought it was. But when I finally stood to my feet, I had to face the terrifying reality that I had completely torn my Achilles tendon and I would need surgery.
Step Up To The Plate
I hope your never have to go through any difficult times in life, but that’s not a reality. The fact of the matter is, we will all have our time of facing a dilemma greater than ourselves.
Before that day…
- I never expected to injure my leg,
- I wasn’t planning on having surgery, and
- I wasn’t ready to put my life on hold.
I say that to say this; my story isn’t unique because that’s just a part of life!
No one expects anything bad to happen to them, but everyone has to step up to the plate.
Well, it was my turn at bat…
And I had been thrown a curveball.
You will be thrown a curveball at some point in your life, but how will you handle it?
It’s Only An Opportunity
When life throws you a curve ball, just remember that it’s only an opportunity.
STEP #1 - The Throw/Release Phase
First, you must realize the Throw/Release Phase is the first steps to making any situation you’re experiencing an opportunity. Sometimes life throws a fastball straight down the middle of the plate and other times it may be a curveball.
The throw/release phase is an important part of the process because of the focus required. During this phase, you will be able to see if the ball or situation is a curveball or not. You will have to be very observant to see how the ball, which is your situation, is being thrown. What does this mean?
Try pay attention to the HOW’S and WHY’S when situations happen in your life. Some situations happen because someone feels hurt and other situations may occur because a person feels threatened. But, it’s all about how and why the situation is happening. Everything has a purpose. Once you discover the how and why, you will be ready for the next step.
STEP #2 - The Delivery Phase
You are now aware of the situation you are experiencing from the Throw/Release Phase. During the Delivery Phase, you will end up deciding how you will respond to the throw.
For the sake of our discussion, let’s say the throw is a curveball. What do you do?
Your response time will depend on the situation. Some situations will happen so fast, you won’t have a lot of time to prepare for the next step. Regardless of how urgent the situation, you will need patience to make a good swing at the situation you are experiencing. You will make a decision during this phase, which will affect the rest of your process.
With my situation, I was deciding whether to have a pity party or move on with life. I quickly realized this would be a long process, which would require AMAZING FAITH! So, I made a decision during the Delivery Phase.
STEP #3 - The Swing Phase
The third step is actually putting action behind the decision you made during the Delivery Phase. For me, I decided to move forward and use my misfortune as an opportunity to better others and myself. So, I decided to swing with a positive attitude.
I made up in my mind that I wouldn’t allow this to kill my spirit, but I would use it as fuel to energize and move my life forward. I made a choice that this situation wasn’t going to be a stumbling block, but that it was going to be a stepping-stone to take my life to the next level. With that in mind, I swung!
STEP #4 - The Home Run Phase
The fourth and final phase is the Home Run Phase. If you have acknowledged the previous 3 phases with your situation, Step #4 will take care of itself.
At the end of the day, the Home Run Phase is the understanding that no one else can do it for you.
It’s acknowledging that life is about how you respond to things and not necessarily what happens to you. The Home Run Phase is about knowing that you have done and are doing your best to make the most out of the moment at hand. It’s about PERSPECTIVE! (click on link)
We all have choices to make in life, so start today making every situation an opportunity to bless yourself and others. What will you do when life throws you a curveball?
I hope you will compose yourself and…Take a swing!
Action: Make every situation an opportunity.
Question(s): Have you ever been thrown a curveball? If so, how did you respond? (Take this opportunity to be a blessing. Please leave a comment below.)
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