Lessons Learned (Part 2)
Some of our best memories of jobs are from our youth.
The second job I ever made money from was umpiring. At the age of 15, I can still remember the feeling of getting out of my parent’s car and walking down to the baseball field to do a doubleheader. One game I was behind the plate calling balls and strikes, and the other I was out in the field, watching over the bases. Being out in the field was easier, of course, because I wasn’t involved in every pitch or play. Most nights, however, there were two games, and I always switched off with the other umpire.
When behind the plate, a person has many balls to juggle (pardon the pun): there is calling balls and strikes, remembering to record each one with a clicker, watching out for missed or wildly thrown balls, dealing with upset coaches and parents, and keeping the game moving. It was always a good idea to wear a cup and steel toed shoes for crazy bounces or foul balls, too! When dealing with upset coaches and parents, it was extremely important to stay calm and handle their frustrations in a professional manner. Behind the plate required patience, thick skin and good judgement. There were times that I really appreciated when parents would come up afterwards and tell me I did a good job calling the game.
I also got paid 50 percent more when I was behind the plate. That is when I really started to understand the significance behind making money and what it could get me. I loved saving up for new baseball cards or action figures. I also started getting into shooting a bow around that time, and so it helped pay for range time and new arrows.
In life, the higher the position the more you make. And usually, it is because it requires more responsibility and that is why you get paid more. The other thing about higher positions is that each one comes with its own headaches and fires to put out. Sometimes your position comes with more physical demands and other times it comes with more mental ones. In either case, having patience, thick skin and good judgement will pay off if you can remember that you are building your skills for a better you.
Having those attributes isn’t just for work. Too many times we look forward to getting home and just relaxing. And while that is great to take a load off of our feet, many times our day may only be half over. New parents have little ones vying for their attention. There are chores, animals to feed/walk and other responsibilities that need to be completed. Others go home to stressful households where conflict is high and that can create a whole other set of issues. That is where having thick skin, on and off the job, comes in and knowing that getting through each day is the ultimate challenge. It is also about making the best of each day. Sometimes this is easier said than done.
I have found that in the same way that I needed to have patience, thick skin and good judgement as an umpire, I also needed to implement that same strategy at home and in the workplace. Life can be hard enough and so I encourage people to use good judgement and find someone who makes life easier for you and shares in your same dreams and passions. Do the same when making friends. Having the right people in our life makes all the difference in the world.
When starting out in life, we don’t always get the job of our dreams, but we can become the person of our dreams every day. We can make a concerted effort to be the best at our job that we can be. People in management positions will notice and if they don’t, then use your skills to find a better job in the future. Sometimes we have to have patience with what we want in life and that doesn’t always happen on our timeline. At the same time, work on what you really want to be, do or have when you are not at work. Read books, go to seminars, watch YouTube videos, and invest time and/or money in a mentor. Do things that continually push you towards the person you want to be.
Life is too short to wait on becoming your best version. The longer you wait to do what you want, the less time you have to do it. Work every day at taking one step towards being the hero of your story.
Life Lesson:
Develop patience, thick skin and good judgement in all aspects of your life.
Brad Rhame 