I really believe that baseball is a metaphor for life. If you have ever played baseball, then you know that hitting a curve ball requires you to either jump all over the ball or you have to sit back and wait for the break.

Think about it:

1) Disciplining your children – You can either sit back and wait and talk through the correction or you can jump all over them. Which way does a child respond better too?
2) Teaching moments – Do you sit back and let your child figure things out on their own or do you jump in and help them? Which way helps a child learn more?
3) Career – Do you sit back and let jobs/offers come to you or do you jump all over the market and make things happen? Which will get you further?

As we get closer to baseball season and my thoughts drift back to a simpler time when I loved grabbing my glove and throwing catch. But I got thinking this morning, as I was reading up on the Astros upcoming season, baseball taught me a lot about life. It taught me to rely on others, as 1 person was not going to completely win a game. Play hard. Put everything into the game and preparation and whether you win or lose the game, it really doesn’t matter. Give it your all. Watch what your opponent is doing and sometimes, you have to lay down the sacrifice bunt for the good of the team.

I remember growing up and playing with a lot of good players. Some went on and played Division I college baseball, others like me, faded into the sunset, but the life lessons that we learned on the field, have stayed with us for life. Because sometimes, life really is like hitting a curve ball, as it forces you to sit back and wait for the perfect moment. And in a split second, you are off and running after making contact.

Opening day is 6 days away!