By Doug Strickel
I remember it like it was yesterday. I had finished my sophomore year of high school, we had won the state baseball championship, and I had signed up to play in the high school summer league in Minden.
I had just come home from working my summer job, and there was a knock on the door. It was the American Legion baseball coach. He asked me why I hadn’t been to tryouts the night before.
Back then, American Legion Baseball was the top-level baseball for high school and some college freshman. There was no “travel ball” back then. American Legion teams were usually formed from five or six high schools coming together, having tryouts, and forming a very high-level team.
I had planned on trying out my junior year but had never considered it as a sophomore. I had a decent season playing second base for Minden High, but this would be something way different. The coach told me that if I was interested, I would be his second baseman.
While I was flattered, I knew I would be overmatched some nights. I would be facing the best of the best, and I didn’t know if I was ready.
I turned him down that night and played in the city high school league. My team won the city championship, and I was given an MVP trophy. However, I was in the wrong league. I missed a great opportunity that I have regretted ever since.
I will always wonder “what if”! What might have happened if I had played American Legion ball that summer and gotten that experience and exposure?
That choice was the first in a series of decisions that I made over the next few years that I have regretted ever since. I sought comfort over uncertainty, safety (success) over unknown (failure), and predictability over possibility. I didn’t think ahead. I was too caught up in my present comfort.
Have you ever been there? Do you find yourself avoiding opportunities based on fear? That fear could be based on any number of things including:
- Fear of failure – The possibility of failure overrides any desire to experience success
- Fear of uncertainty – You will remain in a predictable bad rather than seek a possible good
- Fear of rejection – Your fear of what others may say or think overrides your personal desires
- Fear of losing control – You like comfort, assurance, and control and avoid anything that involves you giving those up
I made a commitment several years ago to never let fear cause any more regrets. There would be no more “I wish I had” moments in my life.
2nd Timothy 1:7 says, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power, love, and self-control.”
What is it for you? What area of your life are you allowing fear to impact your decisions? What regrets are you creating due to fear?
Let’s face those fears and start creating a life pursuing opportunities and avoiding regrets!
- Seek wise counsel on key decisions to ensure you don’t allow fear to control you
- Start your day early doing something uncomfortable to set the tone for the day
- Redefine success – Success is not always an outcome but is often an input (an experience not an achievement)
- Don’t base your decision on what you see on social media or any comparison
- Remember any noteworthy experience will likely have an element outside your control
No more regrets for me! How about you?
Doug provides professional speaking and coaching services to organizations and individuals. Whether you are looking for a speaker for your next event or a leadership coach to develop people and build a team culture, feel free to reach out to Doug at doug.strickel@gmail.com and learn more about PLUS.
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