MY TWO CENTS:
As is often the case, a conversation this past week provided some food for thought as I considered our next MTC edition. And, since we’re in baseball season, there’s a high likelihood that this conversation somehow had an interweaving of baseball topics. Which leads me to today’s topic: WIN THE INNING!
There are 9 innings in a regulation Major League Baseball game. In each inning a team gets to play defense until they record 3 outs, and a team gets to play offense until that defensive team records 3 outs against them. The fun and drama of the game come in the tension between the defense’s attempts at recording the 3 outs, and the offense’s attempts at keeping those 3 outs from being recorded while scoring as many runs as possible.
This may seem like an elementary synopsis of the game, and your probably thinking, “Really, Scott?!? The best you could come up with is telling us about the basics of baseball?” So, please allow me to pull this all together with a few thoughts and questions.
- In what inning of life do you find yourself?
- Has your game just started, or are you in the final innings?
- Are you in a rain delay, sitting in the dugout shivering, wishing the sun would come out so you can play?
- Are you on defense trying to get those three critical outs (overcoming obstacles in front of you) so you can move on?
- Have you planted yourself firmly in the batter’s box with a grin on your face daring the pitcher to throw the ball over the plate so you can hit it out of the park?
Regardless of where you are…WIN THE INNING! Here’s what I mean: you have a task, a challenge, an opportunity, a responsibility immediately in front of you, and that is what you need to “win” in your life!
Remember, the last inning is over and you have a job to do this inning!
If you won that last inning, congratulations! Are you basking in the glory of that inning won, or are you preparing yourself to win the next inning?
If you lost that last inning, bummer! Are you sulking in the disappointment, disgrace, or shame of that inning lost, or are you preparing yourself to win the next inning?
We got to witness our sophomore son’s high school JV baseball team experience both sides of this analogy this week. In one game, his team gave up four runs in a single inning riddled with errors. Then, two innings later, they scored 5 runs in the bottom of the last inning for a walk-off win. Two days later, a similar situation transpired with an opposite result. Wow…what a game!!
Wherever you are and whatever you’re experiencing, you have more game to play. If you have breath in your lungs, there are still more innings waiting for you to win. And remember, no single player can win the inning on their own…they need a team. If you need someone on your team, please let us know because we would love to help you win your next inning!!
Make it a great week!
Scott Cousino, CFP®
President