Life is like a football game, seriously.

By: Michelle L. Taylor, M.S., LPCC

If you like football, you should read this. If you don’t like football or know anything about football, it’s up to you to read 🙂

This is another one of my metaphor blogs. It came to me the other day that life is like a football game. And, I thought since the Superbowl is coming soon, this would be relevant.

This metaphor is about trying and failing and how you respond.

Think of this. Life, like a football game, has two things for sure. A beginning and an end. Birth and death. One is exciting, the other is frightening (if you don’t play it right). Everyone has the anticipation of the game (birth) and the possibilities (early years of growth) are endless. Anything can happen.

Just 10 yards and you get a first down… 100 yards, and you could get a touchdown. Which, if you have more touchdowns than the other team, you win the game, right? Seem pretty easy?

Going up against a tough opponent, seemingly unbeatable? This is equivalent  to being born into a culture or situation that seems impossible to succeed. Take those born into poverty, poor parenting skills, being a minority, or with disabilities. It’s a Goliath opponent. How on earth can you beat that team? Still… when the game of football starts, there’s always hope that something can happen. A potential miracle.

Then the first quarter happens… your team has pushed and shoved their way to simply getting a first down.

But, what stops you from getting that first down? The Goliath team of life, pushing right back at you. How do you respond?

Sometimes you fumble. Sometimes you get intercepted. Sometimes you get sacked. Sometimes you get injuries. Sometimes, you get scored on. Many, many times.

But, the bigger question is… how do you respond?

First quarter ends… you’re up 14-7. Great job. This looks promising! Just hold that lead until the end!

But, the second quarter starts, you fumble, you get intercepted, you get the snot hit out of you by the 350 lb. lineman, you can’t even get a yard ahead.

How do you respond?

Do you go home? Say, “We forfeit.” Some do. And it’s sad they do because they didn’t have the right support to tell them:

You get back out there. There’s hope.

This is different for you because you will have the help of those around you, your coaches (parents, teachers, bosses, therapists), your teammates (friends, siblings), the crowd (your generation, your community).

You get back on the field. It doesn’t matter you’re down 14-28 and it’s not even halftime. You get back out there and try your best. We will be here rooting you on.

But, you can’t seem to do anything right still.

This might be a time in your life where nothing seems to go right. Depression and anxiety kick in. You want to just pack up and go home.

Thank goodness for halftime.

In the locker room, you sit there with your coaches and teammates and try to figure out what’s going on. Figure out how to get motivated again.

“Even if we don’t win, let’s go out there and show them what we’re made of.”

How you respond to this setback is how you’ll feel when the game is over. Did you give it your all? Despite the emotional ups and downs? Despite losing 14-48?

Did you go back out there in the 3rd and 4th quarter and work on fixing the things you can control?

Did you read the other team’s offense and defense better than you did in the first half?

Despite not getting a touchdown in the second quarter, were you able to reset your goals to just get one first down?

Did you grow?

YES. Of course you did.

You realize that it’s the journey, not the destination, that is the real win. It’s the process, not the result, that leads to happiness, growth, contentment, and security at the end of the game.

How you played the game, despite whatever you were up against, is what you’ll remember at the end of the game.

And hey, sometimes you win, too.

Written by: Michelle L. Taylor, M.S., LPCC