If you want to watch the Super Bowl from Europe kickoff is half past midnight. A freshly minted author friend was kind enough to set up a projector and provide refreshments. He was excited at having recently finished his first novel, I was excited for him and happy to have played a small part in the process.
Optimism is a sensible philosophy in life, however negative motivation in small doses can be surprisingly effective. My friend had half of book written and simply couldn’t find the motivation to finish. Life happens, especially when someone is trying to balance family and work obligations. I frankly would never have published my first book if not for the pandemic lockdown. I only put out one book in 2022. Family and work come first, sometimes you look up and it’s been six months, but this is something I must remedy. There are just too many good stories that need to be told.
My friend hails from a very conservative part of America, and he’s as calm and considerate as they come. Which is why an obnoxious bet got him to finish his first novel. It was simple, if he didn’t finish his novel in four months by his birthday he’d have to wear a particularly polarizing red ballcap every day for a month.
That did it. He powered through and is now an author.
It’s nice to give back some considering all the help and support I’ve gotten. The 20booksto50k group from Facebook shares their experience and wisdom freely, they just ask you be polite and respectful. It’s funny how technology works, I’ve never met these people yet their advice on so many book related topics has been wonderful. I will finally get a chance to meet some of them at an event in Europe this year.
Sports isn’t life, but sometimes it resonates magnificently. As someone who grew up in Texas and the Midwest, at least one of my teams, is enjoying success. The Chiefs fortunes changed when a legendary coach made a bold move trading up for the player he believed could lead them to championships. This player, Patrick Mahomes, has elite skill, leadership, and humility to boot.
Patrick Mahomes was legendary in Super Bowl LVII. He’s regarded as the best player in the NFL and with that comes pressure. In this game he was recovering from an injured ankle and the opposing team was playing lights out with a 10 point lead shortly before halftime. When Mahomes went down reinjuring his ankle all seemed lost.
In a Disney movie, the hero rallies back against the odds. Life isn’t always a Disney movie. The adage is the big time players, come up big, in big games.
Mahomes lived up to this legend, playing against elite competition, with the world watching. He was noticeably hobbled by his injury, but came back and simply took over the game. He brought the Chiefs back to win his second championship in dramatic fashion with seconds left on the clock. Then in the post game press conference he gave all the credit to his teammates and coaches.
Inspiration is rare in the skeptical age of social media. This was the real deal.
This was Big Time.
A legendary performance.