So as I was on my way to work this morning it was very foggy near my home. Now if you’ve ever driven in fog, especially at night or just before dawn, you know how difficult it can be to see what’s ahead of you. You also know that turning on your high beams is a bad idea, as it makes seeing the road and what is ahead of you even more difficult. However, even though you can’t see very far ahead, you also know that as you proceed with caution, the more you drive, the more you will eventually be able to see; one foot at a time you’re able to see more – that 100 feet in front of you advances foot by foot with each moment of driving. You can’t see any further than that 100 feet or whatever it is, but you do know that you must continue forward if you want to see anything else and get to your destination.

Isn’t this how life treats us sometimes? Your circumstances are so bleak or stressful or worrisome that you have trouble seeing more than what is right in front of you? In life, as in the fog of the Pacific Northwest, we know there is more out there even though we cannot see it at the moment. Allow this to be a lesson to us. In tough times or times of stress, just remember that although it is difficult to see what’s beyond your field of view, there is more out there as long as you keep moving.

Something else to be mindful of is the understanding that what’s behind you gets ever more difficult to see as well. With each step you see more of that which is in front of you as well as less of what is behind you! Think about that for a moment. When life seems like it’s getting the best of you, just remember that the fog will lift and you will see more clearly in the end, once the sun rises. Until that time though, simply putting one foot in front of the other puts you closer to where you want to be and further from where you were. Stay calm, don’t throw on the high beams and let your emotions get out of control, but stay focused and be reminded that the reward is in the journey.

How does this apply to sport? Well, for coaches and athletes you know the feeling of being in a slump or off-season training that just seems to never end. Stay focused on the most important things at hand and know that eventually things will turn around as long as you keep moving forward. For administrators and other staff, be reminded of where you work – in sport! We work so others can be entertained and fulfill higher order needs of personal satisfaction and escape. Sometimes troubles can get us down; let us not focus on the fog, but on the brightness of the good and warmth of the sun. Perspective and mentality is everything.

GO FORTH!