Life ‘comes to life’ when you really put yourself into it.
My 8-year old son is obsessed right now with rugby. It's mainly for the social aspect and because he gets to look tough with headgear and a mouthguard. He also loves learning the skills – passing, tackling, being tackled, forming a scrum and so on.
However, when it comes to Match-Day, where they play against others schools, he is nowhere to be seen. He typically hovers behind his team-mates, treating the ball like a hot potato and seemingly biding his time until the game is over.
He has yet to really connect with the object of the game, which is to get the ball across the opposition’s line and stop them from getting it across yours.
He is probably weighing up the risk of a punishing tackle with the thrill of scoring.
My son’s scenario got me thinking about the distinction between ‘going through the motions’ of playing a game and really playing it; whether that be at work, as wives, husbands and parents, or taking care of our physical and emotional wellbeing.
It's easy to get caught up in routines and obligations, but it's important to pause and ask ourselves if we are truly engaging and participating in our life? Are we actively pursuing our passions, connecting with others, and taking risks? Or are we simply pretending and going through the motions?
Life 'comes to life' when we put ourselves into it. It becomes more exciting, meaningful, and rewarding. Of course, there is a risk associated with really 'doing life'. It can make certain things more painful, and it often takes courage to care. However, as Winston Churchill famously said, 'Success is the ability to move from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm'.
So, it's worth allowing ourselves to get a little more rumbled by life and getting in the game.
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