Wednesday; January 10

Growing up when and where I did, I was never a big Vince Lombardi fan – and I think I can trace it back to one day – December 31, 1967. On that day Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers beat my beloved Dallas Cowboys in what has become known as the “Ice Bowl”. I know it’s probably not nice to hold grudges – but when it comes to football, well … let’s just say I have a permanent blind spot.

In all honesty, Vince Lombardi was such an effective coach that they have named the Super Bowl trophy in his honor, so as we begin the NFL playoffs, I thought it would be appropriate to revisit one of his quotes. Decades ago, the coach observed, “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.”. Interestingly, as I think about this quote, I can only speculate if it was made after a game or after a practice! Lombardi was known to be tough – not just on his opponents, but on his own players as well. I wonder if he was that way prepare his teams for the upcoming game or if it was to test their character to be a part of his team.

I realize that football is a game and sometimes quips that revolve around sports aren’t all that important, but I see this adage in life as well as on the gridiron. No one is promised an easy life, so the thing that can be relied on is resiliency. Are we willing to respond each time we fall (and especially those times we are pushed by others)? Not all of us will be able to conquer our issues, but we can all rise to the challenges they present.

Think About It!

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