It's never too late to lead
Time eats up moments, but the next tasty morsel is sat on YOUR plate...
The title captures all sorts of meanings. Find your own and read on for my three different takes.
(This is also some stuff that inspires me to this day):
It’s never too late to let someone know…
The Tokyo Olympics was perhaps the most emotionally turmoil period of my life. We had Coronavirus changing our worlds, I became a father two months prior to the games, plus the usual selection and big tournament stressors.
We placed 4th in that Games in 2021. I played no part in the bronze medal match, sidelined through injury. Watching us lose from the stands was really tough. The tournament was over and the tears fell in floods. I was walking back through to the holding zone totally distraught. As I made slow progress back to our changing room, I had to pass the NZ team on their way to take the field for the Olympic final. I was aware of their mindset at that moment and the image of me sobbing behind my medical mask would’ve been strange perhaps so I tried to keep a low profile. Nonetheless I passed by the team, their management and coaching staff.
Leadership with a time lag.
Fast forward a whole year. I am in the bar of a hotel in Birmingham for the Commonwealth Games ahead of the 7s. I am working for Team England across the Games so not competing so the bar was a regular hang out!
The NZ coach was in there catching up with some friends. He walked over to me and said ‘I wanted to come and talk to you about something. I remember walking by you in Tokyo. You were upset and I didn’t give you a hug. It’s 12 months late but here you go!’ We hugged and the very fact that this man had carried this with him for a year was overwhelming. A tough and adversarial competitor and despite this he had felt compelled to show his humanity to the extent that he delivered on his values regardless of the time that had passed.
It’s never too late to inspire…
This segment is just delighting in people who have accumulated many years of life and yet still manage to live in a way that I find inspiring.
David Attenborough - Nobody would begrudge the British broadcaster and biologist if he had felt like he had completed his work a number of years ago. He has contributed so much to the coverage and education of the natural world. And yet this British national hero has continued to care. He has gone on giving back, contributing to his causes as a 98 year old.
Johanna Quaas - I came across a video clip last week of this phenomenal 98 year old performing on the parallel bars. The oldest gymnast in the world, she will be stimulating people’s minds about what physical health can look like, helping others to re-frame their own health and well-being…https://www.instagram.com/shannonrwatts/reel/C6olStexlfi/
Ellen Langer - A psychology professor at Harvard University, she has done a large body of work already. Over 200 research articles and 13 books, including her best-selling books on mindfulness might give cause to rest on your laurels. However, as she moves through her 77th year on this earth she continues to work and share her learning, featuring on many popular platforms like this one… https://www.richroll.com/podcast/ellen-langer-813/
It's never too late to discover your better self…
(this is a period of my career I will unpack more fully in another post. Here is the brief version of events)
This is a story of a personal turnaround. It was the 2018/2019 season. I did not have a good season. Due to a mixture of personal circumstances at home and playing through a long term injury I was not delivering on the pitch.
It was Olympic qualifying season and I was wearing that like a ten ton weight. I couldn’t imagine not making it. When we finished outside the auto qualifying spots the fear of missing out intensified. I tried harder and, as a result, delivered less for the team. At the peak of my frustration, the reality of my playing standard simmered to the surface in anger. Not only had my on-pitch performance been sub-par, I was now also not helping those around be their best either. Bringing negative energy and generally stinking up the place.
We were headed into an Olympic qualifier in Europe and I had been in a funk for a long time. After a few fortuitous interventions, conversations, emotional resuscitation from those around me I found some peace again. I could see the blue sky through the dark clouds. We went to the big tournament in Europe and although I was still limited in my playing contributions (I actually got injured mid way through!) I felt I was able to contribute in a positive way to the teams success. I was able to reignite my leadership of the group.
I know I have left out the details of this turnaround - the important bit you might think! As promised it will come in another edition. However, if this resonates and you are in a funk right now and feeling the need to turn it around please send me a message and I will share more of this story in the hope it could help you too.
I suppose I am reminded of the below:
The best time to begin was yesterday, the next best time is today.