Have you heard the saying, how you do one thing is how you do
everything? A friend of mine shared it with me this past week and then it
popped up in O magazine. Serendipity! The phrase also reminds me of what my
high school tennis coach used to say to me. How
you practice is how you play. During
my two year career on the tennis court, this saying made me realize when I wasn’t
practicing with my all. I would run slower if I was tired or stopped short on a
swing instead of carrying it through and sure enough I would do the same thing
when it came to a game. I finally got tired of losing and I knew I need to do
something different.
Either I wasn’t good enough or I
wasn’t giving it my all. How often do we decide that “this” doesn’t work only
to realize that it would if we did it to the best of our ability? I decided to
practice with my all. It was brutal.
Nothing about playing tennis or any sport came easy to me. However, that final
year, all my sweat equity paid off. I earned a gold medal in Doubles and bronze
in Singles. Not bad for a girl who almost failed gym. I just remember thinking,
“this is it”. What made the difference wasn’t just how I played the game, but
how I practiced for each game. Fast forward a decade, quickly becoming two but
who’s counting, and I’m witnessing the lesson come to life again.
What would happen if every day you
showed up as if This Is It?
Michael Jackson is one of the
greatest entertainers of the last century.
This would be difficult for anyone to dispute. Recently, I was watching a clip of Judith Hill
and Michael Jackson from his This is It
tour which we know never saw one concert performance due to Michael’s passing. Okay,
so I wasn’t actually watching the clip at first. I was at my computer working on
this newsletter as a matter of fact and the song “I can’t Stop Loving You” began
after I listened to another of Hill’s songs on YouTube. I’m thinking that
sounds like Michael Jackson, totally forgetting about the duet she was schedule
to perform with the King of Pop. I looked at the video and it was at the moment
when the camera panned the audience of about oh… 13 people. The clip is from a rehearsal for the This Is
It tour. In the large stadium to witness the magic was only the band, backup
dancers and critical staff, but they’re performance was worth of a sold out show
to thousands. It wasn’t perfect but seriously it was darn good. You could see
Michael giving Judith instructions and even singing out instructions to the
band. Uhm… could you have someone recorded your practice and it be nearly as
perfect as the live show? I mean seriously, what would happen if we showed up
each day as if this is the show not a dress rehearsal?
We have to live life one day at a
time. We don’t have any other choice. And factually nothing is guaranteed. Michael
didn’t know that we’d never see the live concert but his dedication to his
craft showed u,p even in during practice time. The day before your life changes
is like any other day.
So whether we’re working to start a
business, play an instrument, perform in an arena, jump start a career or even
a build a family, every day we should work to build our lives. You’re the boss.
You are the Chief Experience Officer (hey I kinda like that) of your existence and
we have to show up knowing that this is it. It won’t always be easy. Yet, shoot
for the stars. Repeat what works until you get it perfect. Ask for what you
need, when you need help (even Michael had a coach). Reinvent yourself when
necessary. However, whatever you focus your life on.
Don’t rehearse! Always show up and play full
out! This is it.
About the author: Sister Mothyna
James-Brightful is a self-proclaimed “Self Love Revolutionary”. She has spent
the last decade empowering women and girls to live authentic lives as the
Visionary Director and Co-founder of Heal a Woman to Heal a Nation. Sister
Mothyna is co-author of Because I am a Queen...100 Affirmations for Daily
Living and is currently working on her forth coming book Engage.Inspire.
Prevent: Tips to Educating Teens on Sexual Violence. Stay connected www.hwhn.org:
Twitter @mothyna
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