They say life is a journey and not a destination. However, those who
uphold the teleological perspective may have some
say in the matter.
Personally, it''s good to stop and smell the roses however, we shouldn''t
lose sight of our purpose in spite of the beautiful view.
In my life, basketball has been a
passion and surprisingly, a great
teacher. I was a wide eyed six year old to MJ''s hang time and clutch
shots. He could fly and he had nerves of steel, to me he was super. As
a teenager, I screamed my lungs out cheering for my favorite NBA, PBA,
PBL, and UAAP teams. At 22, my passion for the game has never wavered.
And no, its not just the guy, its really the game...
How do I love thee?Let me count the ways...The top 10 ways why I love this game...
Word of caution: I can describe the high flying acrobatics and no
look passes, but more than all these, I love and enjoy basketball
because of the many things it taught me about myself and others...
1. How you play the last two minutes of the game reflect your character...- when up by 30 points do you continue to pour on the points to bury your opponents alive at the cost of sportsmanship?- when up by 5 points do you relax thereby giving your opponents a chance to get back in the game and steal it from you?- when down by 20 points, do you throw the white flag and surrender?
2. Learn how to fall - to prevent even worse injuries or setbacks.
3. After falling, learn to stand up again. You cant fully experience life lying down.
4. How you play both ends of the court reflect your character...Are you energized in offense but lazy in defense?
5. Learn to trust your teammates - that''s why you have 4 other
people with the same color of jersey as yours on the court - it is a
team sport.
6. Pace yourself. You cant play up-tempo all the time. Learn to play, work, relax, and enjoy your life.
7. Be willing to take the last shot. It takes a lot of courage to accept defeat and a lot of humility to be gracious in victory.
8. Find a mentor. You would need someone to assess you objectively and his/her insights will help you improve your game.
9. Review and evaluate your previous games. Learn from your mistakes and strive to become better.
10. Basketball is a lot like economics. It''s all about decision making. So much like life.
With the all star games just behind the corner and the Valentine''s
day hoopla buzzing in the air, I opted to make this my valentine
special for my love - basketball :)