You Say You Want An Ev-o-lu-ti-on - We-ell Ya Know
Happy New Year's, folks! The holidays are over, normal life has resumed, and I am attempting to correct the gross neglect of my blog! Unfortunately, due to the nature of an insanely busy life, some things (like this blog) always seem to take a backseat to more pressing matters.
Per the norm, I have had a few things banging around in my head. Since it is the new year, many people see this new year as a time for new opportunities and fresh starts. Resolutions are pondered and written down and hopefully worked toward for at least a little while. I gave up on resolutions a few years back. For me, they just became additional goals that I didn't attain; a shining reminder that I had failed at something yet again, whether that was eating better or reading my scriptures everyday. Instead, over the last few years, I have taken to choosing a "Word of the Year". Typically this word is more abstract and serves as more of a guide or motivation for the things I choose to do each day. Past words have included "Discipline", "Authentic", and "Simplify."
It has taken me a little longer this year to choose the appropriate word for this season of my life. Should I be more "Intentional"? Do I want to develop more "Patience"? Do I need to be more "Brave"? All of these, among others, are all good, strong words that I definitely could put more into practice in my daily living. However, after careful thought and consideration, I decided that no, these weren't the words that I wanted to help mold my actions day to day for the year 2019. Instead, the answer came to me this morning as I was out for my training run. In a moment of clarity, it was clear to me that the word that would serve as my beacon for the year should be "Evolve."
Anyone who knows me, knows that I am an avid Alabama Crimson Tide football fan. By avid I mean that 1) I chose my college based on its football team, 2) I have broken things in fits of frustration while watching a game, 3) I have wept when my team has lost, 4) I have caused my children to miss the church Trunk or Treat because a game went into 5 overtimes, 5) I would rather sit and talk the game with the guys than chat about babies and things with the girls. Probably not so different from many people, but I am a big fan, nonetheless.
If you happen to be breathing right now, you know that last night in the College Football National Championship, Clemson handed us a super sound, well-deserved defeat. They didn't just win, they stomped us in the ground. However, it did not go unnoticed to me that I was in a much better headspace about the whole thing than I assumed I would be. (Anxiety is such a curse!). Honestly, over the years, without even realizing it, I had been evolving in my role as a fan. You see, before, I wouldn't objectively look at a football game to analyze it - I wanted to win and that's what we should do. Over time, as I have evolved in roles such as parent, teacher, friend, I have found that I am much more empathetic to those who play on both sides of the ball.
As a mother, instead of wanting our defense to break the quarterback's legs, my heart breaks a little when I see that our opponent's dreams are going unfulfilled (unless you're Auburn, or Ohio State, or Tennessee, or Florida, or LSU, or Georgia, or Michigan, but I digress). I can see the pressures that these young kids have on them to fulfill the dreams of college fandoms everywhere - pressure and expectations that we wouldn't put on ourselves but have no problem, along with media, to put on kids who barely just left high school. I can understand how difficult it must be to be a role model to others when you don't even have your own life figured out yet. And I also understand how boring it must be to other fandoms when, year after year, the schools with the deepest wallets tend to draw the athletes with the greatest talent and are always in the hunt for the big prize.
Last night I went to bed early. I knew by the third quarter that it just wasn't our night, and my body and brain just didn't want to suffer the abuse that I knew another hour would bring. I never would have done that 5 years ago....I would have cried and prayed and cursed Clemson for having the more faith-filled Christian fan base. Don't get me wrong, I still tug on God's ear for most of our games, but I don't take it as personally when the answer is no. I am evolving. I am not worried about my team. I also know that dynasties don't last forever, Nick Saban will retire, and we will be an ordinary football team again at some point. But the legacy that is being created is one for the history books, and I will be there every season to watch my team as it adapts and evolves to suit the current year's needs.
Of course, this was simply an example of how I, personally, have evolved in one aspect of my life. Being an Alabama fan is only one tiny part of the many things that make up the whole of me. Looking back, I have evolved in my marriage. I have evolved in my parenting. I have evolved in my church faith. I have evolved in the role of a daughter and in the role of a sibling. I have evolved in the role of me. I hope to continue to evolve and change and learn and grow and adapt more as the years go along.
The opposite of evolving is to remain stagnant. Staying stationary. Resisting change. That is not where I want to be. I want to wake up each day just a tiny bit better than I was before. I want to be open to new ideas, look at things from both sides, and allow myself the grace and flexibility to call an audible on my views and beliefs.
I am sitting at the half-time of my life. It is time for me to evaluate the first half, make adjustments and get ready to put up a strong effort for the last couple of quarters. Every second, every play, every down. That doesn't mean I won't make a fumble now and then. That's all just a part of the evolution of my game.
Oh yea, and Roll Tide!
Per the norm, I have had a few things banging around in my head. Since it is the new year, many people see this new year as a time for new opportunities and fresh starts. Resolutions are pondered and written down and hopefully worked toward for at least a little while. I gave up on resolutions a few years back. For me, they just became additional goals that I didn't attain; a shining reminder that I had failed at something yet again, whether that was eating better or reading my scriptures everyday. Instead, over the last few years, I have taken to choosing a "Word of the Year". Typically this word is more abstract and serves as more of a guide or motivation for the things I choose to do each day. Past words have included "Discipline", "Authentic", and "Simplify."
It has taken me a little longer this year to choose the appropriate word for this season of my life. Should I be more "Intentional"? Do I want to develop more "Patience"? Do I need to be more "Brave"? All of these, among others, are all good, strong words that I definitely could put more into practice in my daily living. However, after careful thought and consideration, I decided that no, these weren't the words that I wanted to help mold my actions day to day for the year 2019. Instead, the answer came to me this morning as I was out for my training run. In a moment of clarity, it was clear to me that the word that would serve as my beacon for the year should be "Evolve."
Anyone who knows me, knows that I am an avid Alabama Crimson Tide football fan. By avid I mean that 1) I chose my college based on its football team, 2) I have broken things in fits of frustration while watching a game, 3) I have wept when my team has lost, 4) I have caused my children to miss the church Trunk or Treat because a game went into 5 overtimes, 5) I would rather sit and talk the game with the guys than chat about babies and things with the girls. Probably not so different from many people, but I am a big fan, nonetheless.
If you happen to be breathing right now, you know that last night in the College Football National Championship, Clemson handed us a super sound, well-deserved defeat. They didn't just win, they stomped us in the ground. However, it did not go unnoticed to me that I was in a much better headspace about the whole thing than I assumed I would be. (Anxiety is such a curse!). Honestly, over the years, without even realizing it, I had been evolving in my role as a fan. You see, before, I wouldn't objectively look at a football game to analyze it - I wanted to win and that's what we should do. Over time, as I have evolved in roles such as parent, teacher, friend, I have found that I am much more empathetic to those who play on both sides of the ball.
As a mother, instead of wanting our defense to break the quarterback's legs, my heart breaks a little when I see that our opponent's dreams are going unfulfilled (unless you're Auburn, or Ohio State, or Tennessee, or Florida, or LSU, or Georgia, or Michigan, but I digress). I can see the pressures that these young kids have on them to fulfill the dreams of college fandoms everywhere - pressure and expectations that we wouldn't put on ourselves but have no problem, along with media, to put on kids who barely just left high school. I can understand how difficult it must be to be a role model to others when you don't even have your own life figured out yet. And I also understand how boring it must be to other fandoms when, year after year, the schools with the deepest wallets tend to draw the athletes with the greatest talent and are always in the hunt for the big prize.
Last night I went to bed early. I knew by the third quarter that it just wasn't our night, and my body and brain just didn't want to suffer the abuse that I knew another hour would bring. I never would have done that 5 years ago....I would have cried and prayed and cursed Clemson for having the more faith-filled Christian fan base. Don't get me wrong, I still tug on God's ear for most of our games, but I don't take it as personally when the answer is no. I am evolving. I am not worried about my team. I also know that dynasties don't last forever, Nick Saban will retire, and we will be an ordinary football team again at some point. But the legacy that is being created is one for the history books, and I will be there every season to watch my team as it adapts and evolves to suit the current year's needs.
Of course, this was simply an example of how I, personally, have evolved in one aspect of my life. Being an Alabama fan is only one tiny part of the many things that make up the whole of me. Looking back, I have evolved in my marriage. I have evolved in my parenting. I have evolved in my church faith. I have evolved in the role of a daughter and in the role of a sibling. I have evolved in the role of me. I hope to continue to evolve and change and learn and grow and adapt more as the years go along.
The opposite of evolving is to remain stagnant. Staying stationary. Resisting change. That is not where I want to be. I want to wake up each day just a tiny bit better than I was before. I want to be open to new ideas, look at things from both sides, and allow myself the grace and flexibility to call an audible on my views and beliefs.
I am sitting at the half-time of my life. It is time for me to evaluate the first half, make adjustments and get ready to put up a strong effort for the last couple of quarters. Every second, every play, every down. That doesn't mean I won't make a fumble now and then. That's all just a part of the evolution of my game.
Oh yea, and Roll Tide!
Comments
Post a Comment