“Then, one day, you’ll turn the corner,” Lynda said.
Sitting with my mentor on the hot surface beside our favorite tennis court, gazing heavenward, Lynda taught me. Frustrated that she always beat me, no matter how much I practiced and learned, Lynda responded with love and grace. Understanding my tender heart and the impossible standards I set for myself, she knew how to encourage me.
Learning something new takes time. But with practice and persistence, one day, everything will fall into place, and you will arrive at a level you thought you would never achieve. Practice plus persistence equals payoff.
As the years passed, the more I played tennis, the more I understood Lynda’s words. When learning something new, keep pushing forward. Eventually, it does pay off. But it’s so hard not to fall back into bad habits.
Like the Israelites in the desert, the minute Moses turned his back, they started worshipping other gods. So us!
Lynda’s words meant life’s a process. Nothing happens overnight. Everything takes time, especially when learning something new. But it’s worth it.
“Do it right the first time; you don’t have to do it again.”
Dad’s voice rings in my head alongside Lynda’s; from them, I’ve learned habits matter. Take the time to build the proper habits. Wait for the ah-ha moment because it will come. You just don’t know when. Keep at it, keep trying, keep doing.
Today, I had a coaching ah-ha moment.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about who I am as a coach. As I understand that I control my thoughts and actions, I ask myself who I want to become?
Instantly, my heart answers, the woman God created me to become.
Becoming a better coach helps me become her.
I’ve begun doing two things in my off-time from coaching, playing tennis, and learning golf. Playing reminds me of the pressures players face during a match. Taking private lessons, something I’ve never done before teaches me what students feel like when they come to me.
After finishing my second private lesson, I realized the difference between learning and teaching, giving me a new perspective as a coach. My obsession with becoming a great coach made me forget the student’s perspective, the most important part of the equation.
An ah-ha moment!
To communicate with someone well, you must understand their perspective. With children, you get down on their level and look at them eye to eye. With coaches, you can learn a new sport and take some lessons. Students can’t come to my level; I must go to theirs.
As with coaching, you must go to their level to bring them to yours.
And so it is with Christ; He came to us because we can’t go to Him.
Changing perspective changed my philosophy. Looking at both sides of the spectrum helps you find balance in the middle. Widening our view allows us to observe more. The more we see, the more we know. Wisdom comes with vision.
Life still so much to learn. Corners, so many yet to turn. May I not miss any!
