When I moved to Colorado, I looked forward to all of the great outdoor activities I would soon be able to enjoy. But after living here a while, I began to miss simple things – like softball. Don’t get me wrong, they do play softball in Colorado. The problem I had was that nobody knew I did. I had to find a team and I also had to make new friends.

I finally met someone who played in a league and weekend tournaments. This was my chance to play, so I asked if his team ever needed a substitute. He didn’t even answer the question before he asked me if I was good. Now I had to make a critical decision. If I tell the truth, I might sound arrogant and they won’t want me on their team. If I attempt to be humble, I may never get the opportunity to play. So I did what my parents taught me to do – I told the truth. “Yes, I’m good.” I said. The guy looked at me, surprised that I would dare say such a thing. “Really good?” he asked. “Yes.” I answered.

I gave him my number and waited for a call. It came that week. I showed up for the game and the other team began to complain and said I was a ringer. My new team put me at shortstop and fourth in the batting line-up, and no one had ever even seen me play.

 We began the game without any batting practice. It was my turn to bat. There were two outs and a runner on third base. When the pitch came, I swung for the fences – it was my time to shine. My bat speed was incredible; I expected to hit the ball far into the parking lot. The only problem was I darn near missed the ball. It rolled about five feet in front of the catcher. The next few seconds, would define my character.

I didn’t hesitate. I ran so fast to first base, that I couldn’t stop until I was half way to the right field fence. I scored that inning and as I approached the team, I could hear the sarcastic chants of “Ringer” come from the dugout.

I played with that team for five years. Perhaps they appreciated the effort. Every now and then when the time was right, I swung for the fence, just to show I could still hit the home run when we needed it. But what the team really counted on me for was the consistent base hit, the effort, and most importantly, no excuses.

*******************************************************

THE BOTTOM LINE:

Principal 1: The effects of marketing take time. Your goal should be consistency and effort, not the home run.
‍Principal 2: Your character is defined more by how you respond to adversity than how much you succeed.
‍Principal 3: Don’t mistake confidence for arrogance. Arrogance is annoying. Confidence is respected.

For business inquiries contact:
Jeff Beaton, Owner/Creative Director

345 MARKETING
PO Box 974 Fort Collins, CO 80522
jeff.beaton@345marketing.com
(970) 416-0985 x201