ON OCCASION, WE ALL TELL LIES to ourselves so that we can remain hopeful about our future. July is the final month of the summer baseball season. Travel baseball teams of varying ages from all over the world are competing against one another to determine whose the best of the best.
There are several average players winning championships with above-average teams who are telling themselves three lies in July:
- I’m good.
- My game is good.
- My future is good.
Lie No. 1 — I’m good
My wife convicted me with these words once and I will never forget them. She said, “C.J., everywhere you go, there you are.” I was in a place of bad character. I was stuck on stupid and her words helped me to go from being stupid to struggle to success.
Stupidity is knowing the right thing to do and say, but not doing or saying it.
Saying to yourself, “I’m good,” may make you feel good, but you need to know how good you are to prepare for your future.
“I’m good” is about your character. It’s about your heart rather than your head and your hands.
Do your teammates describe you as a good person?
What is it about your character today that must be improved for a successful future?
Lie No. 2 — My game is good
Good isn’t good if its just based on a feeling. Being good is based on action. To become good at anything requires a large measure of self-confidence, self-discipline and self-awareness.
- Self-Confidence — realistically knowing what you can do based on what you’ve done
- Self-Discipline — doing things that need to done even when you don’t want to do it
- Self-Awareness — knowing when you’re right and wrong so that you can repeat and adjust
Your future isn’t good for anything if you lack these three.
Lie No. 3 — My future is good
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
What do you want for your future as a baseball player? At age eight, I wanted to grow up to play professional baseball for the Chicago Cubs. They drafted me twice and I wore the Cubs pinstripes for two years.
My parents couldn’t afford batting lessons when I was a kid, so I had to prepare from my future by watching games. I developed my swing by hitting rocks with sticks and testing what I learned in the backyard in games with my team.
Your future is nothing but another dream if you aren’t assessed and lack access to progress.
The fall baseball season starts in August and ends in October. That’s 90-plus days to get your swing assessed by a professional swing coach. Your fall games should be reserved for you to try new things to determine what works and what doesn’t.
“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” — Thomas Jefferson
Remember: Intelligence tops being smart.
For more information, visit www.diamonddirectors.com today. Also, check out our Digital Magazine.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
C.J. Stewart has built a reputation as one of the leading professional hitting instructors in the country. He is a former professional baseball player in the Chicago Cubs organization and has also served as an area scout for the Cincinnati Reds. As founder and CEO of Diamond Directors Player Development, C.J. has more than 12 years of player development experience and has built an impressive list of clients, including some of the top young prospects in baseball today. If your desire is to change your game for the better, C.J. Stewart has a proven system of development and track record of success that can work for you.
Leave a Reply