Never Too High And Never Too Low

My favorite time of the year is the end of summer and the start of fall because that means I can watch college football. I probably enjoy watching the games too much. My wife is such a sweetheart and often watches with me. (I know, I’m a luck guy!)

It provides me such a thrill to follow my team. I get extremely ecstatic when they win and am almost in tears when they lose. Some of my best and worst memories come from watching college football.

The head football coach for my team was interviewed a few months ago. In the interview, he said that he has a plaque on his desk that says, “Never too high and never too low.” He went on to explain that in a football game there are many peaks and valleys. A touchdown from an eighty yard run. An interception that is ran back for a score.

Football, like many games, is a game of momentum and swings. At one point in time, the game could be going fabulously well. Everyone is hitting on all cylinders and things are looking great. The next second, the momentum can swing and something awful can happen. There is a danger in being emotionally too high or too low.

Like the football coach and his players, we need to aim for the middle ground emotionally. There is power in being constant and steady. How can we achieve staying in the middle and not getting too high or too low?

Find joy in the journey. The oft repeated phrase, “stop and smell the roses”, is not practiced as much as it is quoted. Find something each day that brings peace and quiet joy.

Try turning to nature, exercise, an uplifting book, a powerful song, religion, or meditation. Remind yourself of the importance of what you are trying to accomplish. Spend time with kind people. Turn off your electronics. These are some ideas to avoid being too high or too low and to find the steady and strong emotional middle ground.

Matthew earned two business degrees and is the father of one amazing son. He runs his own website, http://ohthethingsyoucanbuy.com, where he features really cool things that you can buy online. He believes in daily meditation, exercise, and religious study. He also believes that what you eat has a great impact on how you feel.