Life Is Like Baseball

Image by Keith Johnston from Pixabay

Major league baseball started a few days ago. 

The Houston Astros is playing the New York Yankees. Unfortunately, the Astros are on the losing end so far. But things can change/

LIFE AND BASEBALL

You may not think so, but life and baseball have much in common. Let me explain.

In baseball, one thing every player must learn is how to hit a curve ball. The curve ball, sometimes called a Bender, sometimes a Hook, is dreaded by batters—even the power hitters.  You see, the curve ball is slower than a fastball, but it fools batters into swinging too soon thus earning them a strike rather than a hit.

How do baseball players overcome this? They learn that the first thing they must do is keep their eyes on the ball. That way they don't have to guess what the pitcher is going to throw at them. They see and recognize what the pitcher is going to throw as soon as the ball leaves his hand.

Every pitch has a "release point." If the pitcher's fingers are over the front of the ball, he's throwing a change-up. If his hand is directly behind the ball, he's throwing a fastball. If his fingers are to the side, you better believe he's pitching you a curve ball.

Batters have to recognize what's coming at them and what action to take.

COMPARISON TO LIFE

Life is all about curve balls. No one gets a pass on life's curve balls. No career is free of curve balls. As a writer, I've had my share of curve balls. Authors get curve balls pitched at us 

all the time. Regardless of your profession, you need to have a plan of action ready when this happens.

An action plan usually means having a backup plan ready to go when a curve ball explodes in your life. Some people never see the curve ball, but they suspect it's coming so they swing too early. That can be a problem of its own. Some never know it's coming until it's whistling by at warp speed. These are the ones who strike out because they wait too late to take action.

Image by Keith Johnston, Pixabay

3 WAYS TO HANDLE CURVE BALLS

Batters have an easier time at recognizing what's coming at them and what action to take because they keep studying the aspect—the pitchers—that affect their careers, and they never become complacent.

Everyone with a career and a life should be doing three things.

1. Always be analyzing what's going on in your career—seeing where your career is going and learning how to be more valuable, more effective.

2. Never be complacent or take your career success or your relationship happiness for granted. The status quo rarely stays constant whether you're talking about a career or life itself.

Everything is always in a state of flux. Never take your relationships or your career for granted. Each requires work to be successful. Nurture each of them because success in one and failure in the other never brings happiness.

3. Always plan for curve balls in advance. Think about all the things that can happen and figure out how to deal with them before they happen. Advance plans help you keep your head.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

So, yes, I think life is like baseball. Don't get tagged out. Hit a home run—in life and in your career.

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