BEING VS. BECOMING
It's fun to be great at something you know is important, isn't it? Each one of us has those unique skills and abilities that just come naturally, and when we find that niche – where what we’re great at has real value – it fills us up inside. It’s like effortless pride. For you, maybe it's at work, where your skillset crushes one assignment after another. Maybe it’s something you do for fun, as an athlete or an artist or a musician. Or maybe it's in your relationships, where success as a friend or a family member just comes easy.
There's only one thing better than being great at something you know is important, and that's becoming great at something you know is important. Becoming great means you didn’t used to be great, but you are now. It means at some point you recognized that there was some important skill or ability you needed to possess...but didn't. It means you were called to be better - to be more - and most importantly, it means you responded to that call.
Ultimately it means you got to work. You studied and learned. You practiced. You tried and probably failed some, but you persevered. You struggled your way forward and gradually, over time as you stuck with it, you started seeing success. "Becoming," you may know from experience, is hard work. It’s a long, slow, sometimes painful process, but in the end that’s probably a big reason why it’s so much fun. "Becoming" taps into a deeper sense of pride – the kind that only comes when it’s earned.
“Becoming,” you may know from experience, is hard work. It’s a long, slow, sometimes painful process, but in the end that’s probably a big reason why it’s so much fun.
If you’re here today as a parent or a coach, you could probably say many of the same things about the young athletes you're working to develop. It’s really fun for any of us to see our kids be great at something important. When they find that niche – where what they're naturally great at has real value – it fills us up inside. It's effortless pride. Maybe it’s as an athlete that your kids' giftedness shines through. Maybe it’s in art or music or school. Whatever it is, you should enjoy it.
But I want you to see today that in many ways it’s even more fun to help your kids become great at something important. Just like it is for us, helping them become someone new – someone better – is a long, slow, sometimes painful process. It's hard work. It starts by recognizing that there's something important they need to possess, but don't yet. Despite all they can do, there are undoubtedly some areas where they need to improve. Maybe it’s their effort or their attitude. It could be their toughness or their courage. This is an important part of your responsibility as a leader in their lives, to recognize what it is that becoming their best will require. Then, just as importantly, you are responsible for responding to that recognition. You and your kids have to get to work.
Study up and figure out the most effective way to help them learn. Create opportunities for them to practice and keep in mind the reality of what “becoming” requires. They will try and fail, so be ready to encourage their perseverance. Despite their struggle, if you’re committed, in time you’ll see them succeed. And while everyone else will be praising them for how great they are, you’ll be feeling a deeper sense of pride – the kind that only comes when it’s earned. You’ll know it’s not about who they are that made the difference, but who it is you helped them become.