Starting Over

The new session is underway in my APA pool league. It runs now through the end of the year.

The last session ended up disappointing for us. In 9 ball we were in 1st place with 3 weeks to go. Those last 3 weeks we lost all 3, and lost the session, in that we fell out of the playoffs. In 8 ball we ended up in 2nd place, missing 1st place by only 3 points. One 3-0 win away from winning it all. We played against the wild card team in the playoffs, and came up short, we lost. Not fun. So close.

But we press forward, and try again. We start over. I know, that if you keep on long enough, you will eventually get to experience the thrill of victory. And it will be so deep, and wide, and life-changing, that you will forget the losses and the long journey completed. They won’t even matter anymore. Because winning the championship will re-set your eyes, it will reshape your beliefs on how amazing the experience can be, but you have to keep playing, keep trying, keep learning.

You can feel it when you are on. The stroke is smooth and almost natural. You see the shot and it happens the way it is supposed to. You make the shot, you get the leave, and you do it again. It doesn’t get any better. Except when your teammates do it too and everyone is playing good at the same time. That is an experience. We love to see each other succeed. We all want something that is bigger than ourselves. I love to win myself. But I love us winning together as a team more. And I love to be around my teammates, that through our ups and downs week to week, have become friends. I choose good people to start with. I get to hang out with good people each week. But they are also gladiators. Their heart is full of fight. They play to win. They never give up.

Put it all together, a team of friends, giving it their best, securing a win, advancing from one playoff to another, and finally winning it all, well, all I can say is it is worth it. So much fun. It is like driving to the Grand Canyon. It takes forever to get there. But once you arrive, the experience is so awesome, it takes your breath away. If you have ever studied the word “amazing”, it is truly amazing (causing astonishment, great wonder). The destination is so great, all the hardship of the journey is forgotten.  It is worth it. I hope you get to experience it. And if you are with me I hope we get to experience it together. We will need some luck. A good roll here and there helps.

But life is all about starting over. We all know about it. We have been there, right? A divorce happens. You start over. You get let go from a job. You start over. You get sick or hurt. You have to start over sometimes. During all the times I have had to start over, I was reminded of the importance of life. You learn, or re-learn, a reverence for life. It will reshape you to fully live, love and matter. I have started over several times.  And it changed me, each time, to think deeper about how I show up in the world, how I treat others, and what it is I want to contribute to those in my world. It is scary. The doubt, the worry and the uncertainty is real. The hardship is real. Those full stop second chances in life end up being monumental breakthroughs in your life. In the end, it helps you. You will come out on the other end. There will be building blocks. When it is time to start over, be more intentional, courageous and appreciative. You don’t have to know the full path to take the first step. Take a small step. And then another. I know, I still remember re-learning to walk. It is hard. You are not going to enjoy starting over, but you can honor the struggle. But you have to start somewhere. You may not yet have confidence, but just go. Start. Take the first step. Believe in yourself and in your ability to figure things out. Believe in God. That is what carries me. I believe in Him and His love for me. It can get you through the darkest night. Take it from someone who knows a thing or two about starting over.

So if you are starting over in life, or just starting over with me in pool, let’s go. Let’s do this.