Michael Sam is a football player who hails from the University of Missouri, and was drafted by the St. Louis Rams two months ago. He is the first openly gay athlete drafted in the NFL, and if he in fact makes the roster he will be the first active such player. I don't espouse his sexual orientation, but I respect his right to choose and appreciate him as a man. I hope he becomes a standout football player, and it will be exciting to see him do his stuff on the field.
In receiving the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the ESPYs earlier this month, he walked us through following motivational message from Ashe:
Sometimes I have a crush of things to do at a given time: building relationships and developing business for my consulting firm is tedious yet grueling, problems arise and issues must be deal with, and tension is so high that it's difficult to focus.
I find some space, take a breath, and simply sit wherever I am. I practice T'ai Chi, and the meditation I do is one of sitting quiet and still, and letting the murky pond of my mind and body calm down. The murk settles to the bottom, and the pond slowly clears.
That's where I start.
I know what I am trying to accomplish, but now and then I have to remind myself or clarify it. Once I do, I know how to go forward and feel confident about doing so. Some need to unplug, take a walk, or read a book. Me, I calm down when I sit at my laptop and think things through, for example, via one of my many journals. I do love to go for a walk, but taking a break is as simple as watching sports on ESPN. Which is what I was doing, when I happened to watch Sam's acceptance speech.
The thing is,
I use whatever simple, practical means I have at my disposal to do what I need to do.
One time I cycled up the tough mountain of Jebel Hafeet in Al Ain, one of Dubai's sister cities in the UAE. My legs in particular are very strong, and I am more suited for speeding on the flats. Truth be told, though, I am too heavy for climbs, and my slow-twitch muscles are weak. But I love a challenge, and the way I managed to ride Jebel Hafeet was by focusing on tenths of a kilometer. For me, it was think big (reach the top) and act small (do one pedal stroke).
Even if it's just that, one step or one stroke, I do what I can.
