Rise Like the Scots
It’s amazing what having a child will do for your life—and what you’ll discover in the process.
I never thought I would find myself at—or excited about going to—a junior varsity ice hockey game. Yet, last night, Julie, Ezekiel, and I went storming (and chanting) into Drake Arena on the St. Paul Academy campus to watch the St. Paul Academy Spartans take on the Highland Park Scots.
“I anna ee ockey! I anna ee ockey!” (Ezekiel’s chant the entire ride from school to home to the arena.)
As we walked in, the Zamboni was finishing up its work—Ezekiel just stared in awe.
Then, I stared in awe…
…watching kids zoned in with their craft.
On the ice, between the two teams, were 12 players all doing their thing. Despite being a “junior varsity” game, the level of skill demonstrated was beyond me.
Toward the end of the 3rd period something fascinating took place—the nature of the game changed.
The Scots were up 2-1, but one of their players was put into the penalty box for cross-checking.
For two minutes, the Scots were down a player: 5 vs. 6.
And for two minutes, those 5 players played a different game:
It was intense.
It was focused.
It was purposeful.
It was organized.
It was efficient.
It was clean.
The stakes had been elevated and the Scots had to rise to the challenge.
And, they did—the Scots stopped the Spartans.
After two minutes, the game play resumed its normal rate.
The Scots went on to win the game.
Ezekiel got to have a new experience.
And, Julie and I found another thing to do as a family.
I think there’s an important lesson here for all of us:
Having a stake in the game—what I’ve come to call a BIG, SCARY, HAIRY GOAL—forces you to rise to your best.
When you make the decision to commit to something BIG—something that makes you sweat and fret and obsess—you tap into a way of being that mimics the Scots game play during that two minute penalty:
Your rate of play is more intense.
Your days are focused.
Your actions are purposeful.
Your life is organized.
Your movements are efficient.
Your mind is clean.
Having that GOAL opens up the door for you to discover your peak performance.
It’s a beautiful thing to witness—and makes for the most amazing stories.
