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Writer's pictureRichard Featherstone

What I learned by Talking with a Professional Athlete

AI rendered image of a man standing on a platform looking into his past.

I once had the opportunity to engage with a man who had been a fairly accomplished athlete in his early adult life. (To protect his privacy I won't mention his name or the specific sport that he played. Suffice it to say that he was pretty successful and in his time had received some positive highlights in the press.)


He isn't a household name, but he clearly played with people who were. But now he was middle-aged, and those accomplishments seemed so distant. His "Glory Days," as he liked to refer to them, "were all but forgotten."


I listened respectfully as he recounted some of his experiences--the famous athletes he got to compete against, the popular teams he got to play on. I noticed how his narratives were not so much a recitation of proud accomplishments, as much as a sad recounting of an era he could not return to.


After a few stories, he declared, "but those days are far behind me." And then he paused, holding back tears.


I slowly nodded my head, acknowledging the man's grief. And then a thought sprang into my mind as if it had been whispered into my ear.


"Perhaps your glory days are not behind you," I said, "but rather under you."

The man looked puzzled by my statement.


I continued. "What if all of the things that you have done, and all of the accomplishments you have achieved, are the foundation on which you can build your future? If this statement is true, what would that look like for you?"


I straightened my stance and gazed out the window as I waited to hear how he would respond. I did not have to wait long.


The man wondered aloud if he could get into coaching. He said he had often thought about helping aspiring athletes. Perhaps his experiences could be of some value to young players, new to the game.


I listened thoughtfully as he continued to share his enthusiastic vision. . .

---

My use of this vignette is not to suggest that I knew what the man should do or that we need only have the "right words" to offer someone in order to lift their spirits. My goal in every conversation I have is to make a connection and to show care. I'm not always able to do that. Why and how to accomplish this goal is a discussion for another day.


My purpose in sharing this story is to remind the reader that you have many skills and competencies that you have gained across your life. But like the former athlete in the conversation above, too many of us view our past as simply "runway behind the plane." In other words, we discount our past experiences as old memories good only for telling stories or evoking nostalgic feelings.


Yet your past is much more than an incomplete collection of Polaroids. Instead it is the scaffolding on which your current life is situated. And it is on this present foundation you can build an amazing and impactful future for yourself and others.


Credits: (Image of man on stage created by Wix AI image creator.)

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Richard, This is a very powerful message. I tend to look at my past as being filled with so many failures and mistakes rather than looking to the past as lessons learned or how my past can be the foundation for where I am today and need to be tomorrow. As followers of Jesus, our eternal glory days lie ahead of us when we get to reach our home in heaven. I will think on how my earthly glory days can be used today. I like this post. Nice job!!😉

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