Tom Brady & Thulsa Doom

“Now they will know why they are afraid of the dark. Now they learn why they fear the night.”

For those of you who live in New England you might have an inkling of what those words mean. Thulsa Doom said them to Conan after he was discovered at the Mountain of Power. Yesterday the Boston sports world went suddenly dark with one misplaced tackle on Tom Brady’s left knee.

It was amazing to watch the collective breath of football fans held while awaiting word on Tom’s knee. Both those who love him and those who find him an adversary. Without a doubt a great athlete was dealt an untimely and disappointing blow. His season is over. The world went dark for Patriots fans.

And yet as I have spoken of in many of these blogs Life is full of opportunities. All I could think of when I heard the news was how many of them there are.

Check it out:

For Tom it’s a chance to see how he handles an injury that will keep him from what he loves for this year. How will he handle that reality, what stories will his mind tell him, what kind of beliefs will manifest in his dealings with the media, fans, and teammates? (Is this the end of my career? Will I be as good again? etc.)

For his team it’s a chance to see that football is in fact a team sport. It takes 11 players from each team to play the game. Sure one player can create an impact but is it all about him? No it’s about the chemistry of all 11 players. So the entire Patriots organization has an opportunity to pull together, re-focus and keep showing up to play the game. Just keep showing up for Life.

For the fans it’s an opportunity to see football is just a game. A dangerous game and a thrilling one no doubt. But why stop rooting for your beloved team? Why not have faith and cheer harder? Things happen that are unexpected in games as in Life. Adjust and keep playing, keep moving, keep living. Keep the Faith.

Modify. Adjust. Take the opportunity as a gift. Or not. But the choice still is yours. Sure life dealt a bummer. But maybe that bummer turns into a blessing.

Tom if you’re listening – get down off the Tree of Woe. Go toss a football to your son (gently though). Enjoy this down time. Maybe read the Four Agreements again. Maybe find the open door in front of you…

Blessings to you and yours.

J

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