“Strike Like A Scorpion” — Then Ice Cream

When Jason was about eight years old, he attended his first Judo tournament. And he was so nervous the night before. “What if I lose?” he asked.

“Well…” I said. “If you do your best. Fight hard and fair, protecting yourself AND your partner…then no matter what happens, no matter what the judges say, we’re going for ice cream!!”

He grinned and went back to his room. About fifteen minutes later he came back out. He looked more serious than I’d ever seen him. “I know what I’m going to do, Dad.”

“What’s that?”

His eyes narrowed. “I’m going to be very calm and still. And then when the right moment comes I will STRIKE like a scorpion!”

I laughed and hugged him.

And that day at the tournament, he kicked ass. He was totally in the zone, and just cleaned up the mats. He ran up to me afterward, and we hugged.

And damned if that night, we didn’t have the best ice cream I’d ever tasted.

###

Major business meeting this Friday. Have to be on my “A+” game, arguably the single greatest opportunity of my life. To not be scared, I have to let it go. Let my entire emphasis on having a great week, and have fun at the pitch meeting. IF YOU HAVE A VALID PATH, THE PROCESS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE PRODUCT.

I can control what I do. I cannot control how people react to me. The M.A.G.I.C. formula “gets me in the game”: