….and why ‘potential’ is the greatest athletic gift.
“You’re never as good as anybody says you are”. So said Eoin Morgan, England’s ODI cricketing captain. He should know, England have just yesterday been beaten by Scotland; a team ranked 13th (one above UAE) to England’s 1st.
With an uncharacteristically sweeping generalisation I predict that, having just read that, you’ll have fallen into one of two categories. First, with a reaction of ‘oh’. Second, with a reaction of ‘oh’. If yours was the first ‘oh’, shame on you, you pessimist. If it was the second, well then, good shit, with that go-get-’em attitude you’ll go far.
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times, “there’s always someone better than you”. What an opportunity that is!
Being told that you’re the ‘best’ is erosive of performance. Wayne Rooney was the ‘best’ at Man Utd when Ronaldo flopped along like a post-birth lamb. Wayne Rooney will now play his football in MLS for some American team. Ronaldo, the European Cup-winning, Champions League-winning, Club World Cup-winning, Balon d’Or-winning Ronaldo, will be continuing to play his football for Real Madrid, a footballing dynasty. They both, at various stages of their careers, got told they were the ‘best’, but only one seemingly believed it.
As the thinly veiled allusion of the title suggests, having someone say that you could be the ‘best’ is the most awesome compliment you can ever be given. The doors that this simple word opens are simply unfathomable. No-one will ever truly know how far they could go.
You’ll never really achieve your full potential.
Let’s unpick that last sentence a bit because it needs re-framing. Those in a position to impart knowledge to others, generally, are guilty of the delivery of this, on first acquaintance, damning line. Taken at face value, with minimal introspection, it’s disarmingly negative. It, rather obviously (or not….wait for it), implies that you will never achieve your full potential….so stop trying, or don’t even bother trying in the first place. I call bullshit.
How do they know??
How do you know??
Give it a bash. Challenge yourself and surprise yourself. Sure it can be pretty hard work but what else are you gonna do?? Imagine if you end up being the next Usain Bolt?
“The best is whatever you define it to be”. Another bullshit line.
The ‘best’ is the biggest dream you can think of. Achieve that? Dream bigger. And bigger. And bigger ad nauseam.
That’s enough positivity and goodwill for the day. I’m exhausted.
