Swing Just One More Time
Have you ever heard it said that the road to success is paved with failures?
George Herman "Babe" Ruth, Jr. is perhaps the greatest baseball player of all time. He hit 714 home runs, and for almost four decades, he held the major league lifetime home-run record. Legend has it that during the 1932 World Series he actually pointed toward a spot on the outfield wall and then proceeded to hit a home run directly over that spot. He was known as "The Babe," "The Bambino," and "The Sultan of Swat." He was a legend even during his own lifetime.
One thing that many people don't know about Babe Ruth is that he once held the record for being struck out. That's right—three strikes and the Great Bambino walked back to the dugout, which means you can add "Strikeout King" to his list of nicknames. In fact, Ruth struck out 1330 times—that's more than any other player in his era. What's interesting is that He held the lifetime record for being struck out way before he held the lifetime record for home runs.
You would think that at some point in his career (perhaps the day he officially surpassed the previous record for being struck out the most) he would have been a bit embarrassed. You might think that once he became the "Strikeout King" he would have started doing things a bit differently. Perhaps he would have changed his batting stance or decided not to swing so hard. But he didn't. I doubt anyone would have blamed him if he would have just decided to skip the next game. But he didn't. He probably got a lot heckling and teasing from fans and other players. But he stayed focused on his goals.
You see, even before Babe Ruth became the lifetime home-run leader, he saw himself as successful. He didn't allow his past mistakes and failures to affect his confidence. He never saw himself as a failure. Instead, he saw himself on a mission—to hit more home runs than anyone else. He was not going to allow the fear of failure to get in the way of his destiny. He knew those home runs were inside of him just waiting to burst forth.
What do you do when you "strike out" in life? Do you just give up and throw in the towel, or do you stand strong, knowing you're one swing closer to that home run? Fear of failure robs so many people of their confidence and causes them to miss the game sitting in the dugout of life. But just like "The Babe," you have to realize that the seeds of greatness are inside you just waiting to burst forth. Don't let your past mistakes or failures steal your God-given destiny. Realize that you are also on a mission, and no matter where you've tossed your bat, you can pick it up, get back in the game, and keep on swinging because sooner or later you will knock that ball right out of the park!
For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again (Proverbs 24:16, NIV).
George Herman "Babe" Ruth, Jr. is perhaps the greatest baseball player of all time. He hit 714 home runs, and for almost four decades, he held the major league lifetime home-run record. Legend has it that during the 1932 World Series he actually pointed toward a spot on the outfield wall and then proceeded to hit a home run directly over that spot. He was known as "The Babe," "The Bambino," and "The Sultan of Swat." He was a legend even during his own lifetime.
One thing that many people don't know about Babe Ruth is that he once held the record for being struck out. That's right—three strikes and the Great Bambino walked back to the dugout, which means you can add "Strikeout King" to his list of nicknames. In fact, Ruth struck out 1330 times—that's more than any other player in his era. What's interesting is that He held the lifetime record for being struck out way before he held the lifetime record for home runs.
You would think that at some point in his career (perhaps the day he officially surpassed the previous record for being struck out the most) he would have been a bit embarrassed. You might think that once he became the "Strikeout King" he would have started doing things a bit differently. Perhaps he would have changed his batting stance or decided not to swing so hard. But he didn't. I doubt anyone would have blamed him if he would have just decided to skip the next game. But he didn't. He probably got a lot heckling and teasing from fans and other players. But he stayed focused on his goals.
You see, even before Babe Ruth became the lifetime home-run leader, he saw himself as successful. He didn't allow his past mistakes and failures to affect his confidence. He never saw himself as a failure. Instead, he saw himself on a mission—to hit more home runs than anyone else. He was not going to allow the fear of failure to get in the way of his destiny. He knew those home runs were inside of him just waiting to burst forth.
What do you do when you "strike out" in life? Do you just give up and throw in the towel, or do you stand strong, knowing you're one swing closer to that home run? Fear of failure robs so many people of their confidence and causes them to miss the game sitting in the dugout of life. But just like "The Babe," you have to realize that the seeds of greatness are inside you just waiting to burst forth. Don't let your past mistakes or failures steal your God-given destiny. Realize that you are also on a mission, and no matter where you've tossed your bat, you can pick it up, get back in the game, and keep on swinging because sooner or later you will knock that ball right out of the park!
For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again (Proverbs 24:16, NIV).