Play Ball!

One of my Facebook friends posted this quote by the charming and talented Audrey Hepburn.  I've always imagined her as unaffected by her glamorous surroundings and like this quote, simple (in the best sense) and  straight forward.  I am guessing that she said this during her struggle with cancer and then wondered, as we tend to do at a certain age, what I believe. And, do we reflect on those beliefs when we are near death or catastrophes? What a lot of wasted time if we do not know ourselves and what we believe in.  How can we be? Carry on? Fight? Understand? Communicate? Survive? Laugh? Cry? Love?

As a leader I firmly believe that we have to know who we are, we have to live it, model those beliefs, and know what we would be willing to quit for, or no one will follow.  As a regular Juanita Doe that task becomes quite difficult because we are now dealing with the humanity of just being. Can work and the private me believe in the same general things?  I think so but in my case sometimes my private, non-negotiables conflict with the beliefs that must be in place in order for the whole to succeed and maintain order. 

In the movie Bull Durham, Annie and Crash very clearly state their beliefs.  Crash's famous "I believe" response to Annie came so quickly and so easily that I wondered if there was anybody out there who could just rattle off their beliefs so quickly.  No wonder at the end of his speech she seductively mutters, "Oh my."  Great line. He reeled her in because that type of response is hot with a capital H!  As Crash Davis mentors the nincompoop pitcher, Ebby Calvin Laloosh, one witnesses who Crash is without he ever so much as explaining himself.   Annie, the smartest groupie you'll ever encounter, shared the following: I know things. For instance, there are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I heard that, I gave Jesus a chance. But it just didn't work out between us. The Lord laid too much guilt on me. I prefer metaphysics to theology. You see, there's no guilt in baseball, and it's never boring... which makes it like sex.  Whether one agrees with her "metaphysics" or not she firmly believes why she does what she does and backs it up with her story and experiences.  That takes courage my friends.

So, what do I believe?  What can I rattle off as if it were a 104 mph fast ball? Here goes:

1. I believe you need to know who you are and be who you are.  
2. I believe you must believe in your self or you are doomed to mediocrity
3. I believe you need to stop the mindset that people's opinions are important.  Not everyone will agree with you.  Don't let the need to please freeze you out of life.
4. I believe the challenges provided you through adversity are gifts to embrace.  They reinforce your inner strength, faith, and tenacity.  They remind you what is important in life.
5. I believe you need to embrace your experiences.  Share your talents and knowledge.  Annie and Crash did.
6. I believe you should never miss an opportunity to be with people you love or matter. Life is miserably short for anything less
7. I believe without courage your dreams and goals are without foundation.  It takes a lot of courage to take risk, stand up against negative people and experiences, and sometimes to really be who you are.  Courage is not an extrovert.  Some of the most courageous people I know are those willing to get up every morning and try again.
8. I believe sorry attitudes breed sorry people.
9. I believe you need to select your friends wisely
10. I believe inspiring others to follow their dreams
11. I believe you have to trust yourself.  If you don't then who will?
12. I believe that we cannot let the synthetic voices of pop culture drown yours. Speak up and mean it!
13. Wearing a black hat does not mean you're a bad guy.  Appearances can be deceiving.
14. I believe that Crash Davis was right when he said, "You be cocky and arrogant, even when you're getting beat. That's the secret. You gotta play this game with fear and arrogance" But you also have to know when.
15. I believe humor, brains, and kindness trumps money, looks, and power in a man.  
16. I believe you must respect yourself and others including all God's creatures and the earth we live in.
17. I believe you are fooling yourself in thinking knowledge isn't important in the grand scheme of things.  Book smarts help you to apply, synthesize, and finally evaluate life around you.  Not elitists but a fact.  Being smart is a gift that should not be hidden or devalued. 
18. Life smarts is also of value and should be celebrated and respected.  And finally
19. I believe that margarine is not fit for dogs, sugar is not a bad thing, and home made trumps Morton's, Spago's, Le Cirque, Sardi's, and The Russian Tea Room.
20. I believe Boar and Castle made the best sauce in the world and their onion rings and buttered steak sandwich have yet to be matched by anyone
21. I believe a southern accent is beautiful.
22. I believe looking good is the best revenge, being kind is even better
23. I believe you cannot have enough black shoes.
24. I believe that all a girl needs in her arsenal is lipstick, mascara, and a nice smile
25. I believe Cuban music and food are the best in the world
26. I believe you can find love in all the wrong places
27. I believe the arts keep our souls and spirits truly lifted and renewed
28. I believe that the children are truly our future.

Are you really committed getting into the game?  In the words of Crash Davis: You got a gift. When you were a baby, the Gods reached down and turned your right arm into a thunderbolt. You got a Hall-of-Fame arm, but you're pissing it away.  Don't piss away your gifts and opportunities.  To thine own-self be true.  Believe!