A few months ago, I got this idea in my head. I was going to stop trying to get to the next stop in life and try for something bigger. To use a baseball analogy, I was going to quit playing small ball. I was going to swing for the fences.
Too many people live their life playing small ball. Make hits, get your runners on base, and slowly advance them home. It's the safe play. It's what we're all encouraged to do from the time we're little kids: do well in school, go to college, get a "good job", get married, buy a house, have kids -- the complete American dream. If that's all you want, small ball is a good play. Never reach for a ball that might be out, just wait for the right pitch. Get a good hit on it, but don't swing too hard and miss your mark. Hit it out toward the shortstop for a single, maybe a double if you're lucky.
I've never been that guy, but I've been trying to play that game. And it's not working. Well, it is, in the sense that I'm got all the trappings of what people would call a successful life. I've got a nice home in one of the trendiest neighborhoods in Austin, I drive a Porsche, I have a beautiful girlfriend. I'm a race car driver.
But this still hasn't turned out quite the way I've wanted it to be. I don't have the Ferrari I always wanted. I don't have the million dollar house in the hills. I'm a race car driver, but I can't afford to go play in the "real series" like Grand-Am. I don't have the freedom to travel the way I'd like and buy the things I really want. I don't have the financial cushion I'd like. Disaster could strike tomorrow and leave me ruined.
The idea started to form. If I wanted to get where I wanted to go, I needed to go big. I needed to step out there and take some chances and possibly get ruined. But here's the secret: life isn't baseball. You are not going to strike out. You're going to get a pitch, and you can swing at it. Or not. Your choice. But whether you swing or not, life is going to give you another one. And another. And another. Right up until you die, whenever that is. All you need is one home run.
That's it. One home run. Sure, you can keep swinging after that if you want, but you can also go sit on a beach and drink margaritas the rest of your life. How many of those have I missed in my life? How many times have a taken a half-assed swing at an opportunity that could have easily been a home run? How many times did I pass because I thought it might end up being an out instead?
I'm almost 40. I'm not too old yet, but I've missed a lot of swings. I don't plan on doing it any longer. This is my blog and my journey. What will I do? I don't know, but you're welcome to join me on the journey. Maybe you'll even be inspired to do it yourself.
One home run. That's all I need.
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