What the Boston Red Sox taught me about resilience
Hello dear reader,
You just have to ‘tap your caps’ for them.
It doesn’t matter if you are a fan of baseball or not; even if you love the team or can’t stand them… you have to marvel at how they did it.
My name is David Pynn; I’m the guy who helps people grow their businesses.
Between my coaching clients, conference calls, and other obligations in October, I had to take time out and watch them do it.
What do you ask?
He had to see the self-proclaimed ‘idiots’ make baseball history.
For those readers unfamiliar with this story, let me fill you in on it.
The Boston Red Sox are a North American Major League Baseball team. They haven’t won their League Championship Series (World Series) since 1918.
Do you know Babe Ruth?
He was once a player for the Boston Red Sox and was traded to their hated rivals… the New York Yankees. Some fans say a curse was born on that day, like since that trade 86 years ago; the New York Yankees have won numerous titles and World Series victories. On the other hand, the Boston Red Sox have seen nothing but disaster.
But loyal Boston fans have stayed true to their team for decades. Some fans were born and died without seeing their favorite team win a championship…at least until this year.
The Major League Baseball playoffs are a month-long event where a champion is crowned. To win the World Series, a team must go through and defeat 3 different teams in a “best of” format.
Series One is a “best of 5” format, and Series Two and the final series are “best of 7” formats.
The Red Sox won their first series against the Anaheim Angels. It was all 5 games, and it was a great series. Unfortunately for Boston, the Yankees won their first series and advanced to face them in the second series.
Let me prepare this for you…
The media was a frenzy, everything from Babe Ruth and the curse to years spent with the Yankees beating Boston was all people were talking about.
Some say that this is the best rivalry in North American sports.
The best-of-7 format went like this… Games 1 and 2, and Games 6 and 7 were played at Yankee Stadium, while Games 3 and 5 were played in Boston.
The Yankees won the first 3 games of this series and took a 3-0 lead in this best-of-7 playoff. Game 2 made the record books as the final score was 19-8. It was the highest scoring game in Major League history.
The verdict was… no team in Major League Baseball history has come back from a 3-0 series lead to win a playoff series. The Boston Red Sox were finished. Another disappointing year for the Boston faithful, and yet another year in which they lost to the Yankees.
Most men’s and women’s teams would have called it a season. Being down 3-0 in a best-of-7 series brings up a lot of emotions: frustration, disappointment, and even a bit of anxiety.
But this team taught me about resilience, remember?
How do you look history in the face and rewrite it?
Simple… you take it one game at a time.
To make a long story short, the Boston Red Sox won the next 3 games to tie the series and force a game 7 final, where they beat the Yankees 8-3 at Yankee Stadium.
These self-proclaimed ‘idiots’ did it. Then they won the last Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. It only took them 4 games, and they made the best baseball team look silly.
So how did this team rewrote history? Looking at it as a problem and working to solve it.
His problem was everything from a curse to 86 years of failure and the weight of a city on his shoulders.
How do you find a problem… a problem from which you can see no way out and the chips are against you?
You can break down any problem into 4 simple steps… no matter how big or small the challenge.
I warn you: these 4 steps always work!
1. Intent – You have to want to change something before you can change it.
2. Will – Do the things you need to do to change an unwanted habit or trend.
3. Commitment: Make a strong contract with yourself so you won’t fail no matter what.
4. Observation: Take a few minutes each day and observe how the process is going.
If you are not satisfied with the result after a period of time, change your commitment and disposition. The intention to work hard to improve the situation. Continue to watch your actions to identify any habits that may allow you to return to the old routine.
Trust me, it won’t be easy. If it was easy, anyone could do it.
Whether it’s to quit smoking, lose a few pounds, get out of debt, build a business, or win a Major League Baseball championship; these 4 steps can help you focus and fix the problem.
Feel free to email what is your big problem that you may need guidance and help to overcome… don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone!
You can email me at mailto:[email protected]
Hope I can help you solve your big problem.
Make it the best week of your life!
david j pynn
International Success Coach
PS: Would you like a free 7-day eCourse?
designed to help you get what you want?
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