I’ve done an awful, awful job of sitting down to write this year. Which is a shame, because my head has been swimming in social consciousness all year. Unfortunately for all of you followers of The NU, the only time I care to share what’s in my head is when my iTouch has enough battery to tweet, or I’m talking directly to you … and even then, I’m more likely to talk about sports more than life.
Pictured: My Philosophy, Minus the Fantasy.
Well, my brother Dwight and I were talking this month. My head’s been wrapped around the idea of prospects. Yes, in sports, as the NCAA Basketball tournament automatically makes me think of the NBA Draft and the NFL offseason is brimming with discussions of free agents and April’s Draft. But as I think about what makes a professional athlete earn a free agent contract or a draft selection, I also think about my own prospects. I think about life, and success.
I try and simplify things when I can. I have serious depth when it comes to positional breakdowns in basketball and football. But you’re not here for that. You’re here for the lesson. So here it is:
“Everything comes down to HEALTH and CHARACTER.”
HEALTH in this case represents the physical potential of a given prospect. In sports, age becomes a factor as the body is continuously pushed season by season, but a player’s physical skills and physical frame determines how we evaluate them. Question 1 is always, “What can you do at your very best?” Health concerns by themselves can keep us from having our best days, and you don’t need to be an athlete to understand that. As soon as school comes in our lives, we know sick days from our best days. But perhaps this is simple enough that I don’t need to add more words here.
CHARACTER, for me, can be a reflection of the six pillars above. In this case, it is the combined qualities of mental, social, emotional, and spiritual awareness. Mental awareness: The power of the mind, book smarts, knowledge and applications. Social awareness: not just the content of your words and actions, but especially the style; your tone and body language, knowing what to say, how to say it, and when to say it … verbal. The street smarts to go with the book smarts. Emotional awareness: Both having a heart, having control of it, and putting it in the right place at the right time; having a reasonable level of sensitivity and empathy for your brothers and sisters. Spiritual awareness: Guts, faith, luck, whatever it is that drives your soul and connects you inter-personally in ways most difficult to explain; some have it, some just don’t. High character in these terms usually translates in maximized physical potential, remarkable consistency in terms of using that physical potential, the will to bounce back in the face of adversity, and the ability to inspire others in their vicinity. It is a sign of maturity and earned leadership … and it is too often overlooked in determining whether an individual “makes it” or doesn’t.
Perhaps another way to look at things...
Bottom line, talent is special. Our unique ability is often how we orient our paths. But healthy talent should not be compromised by underwhelming character. We see it all the time in sports, but do we see it in us? Do we realize the impact great character can have in endeavors? Do we appreciate those with premium character enough?
Consider this a "Warning" from Fame Up In Prospect
-1SKILLZ