The Man in the Mirror!

"There is a four letter word that you'll never see written on a wall in graffiti... WORK!" 

-Coach Martin Parks

Four points about Hard Work

1. You can never get back time! When I was a young man, many former athletes would stop by my house to talk with my dad (who had been their coach). After a good talk, this statement was often made by the former athlete... "I wish I had worked harder when I was playing sports."
My dad would always look at me when they left our house and say "Did you hear that? Don't let that be you son. You can never gain back time. If you don't work hard today, then it's gone. You can never get back that opportunity."

2. You can't lie to the man in the mirror! A few years ago I was talking about sports and hard working athletes with one of my school's principals (Mr. Brad Mickens). He made this statement... "You can't lie to the man in the mirror." 
He was telling me that when he was a coach, he would tell his athletes "Only you know if you worked your hardest today.You can fool your coaches and teammates sometimes, but the mirror never lies. When you look yourself in the eyes, only you know if you worked your hardest, did it with integrity, and left everything you have on the field." 
I have never forgotten that statement and use it with my athletes every year. 

3. The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.- Vince Lombardi
This quote by one of the greatest coaches of all time is so very true. As a long time coach and athlete myself, I have seen this play out time and again. Teams or individuals that have worked their tails off do not quit when the going gets tough. They battle because they have put in work to reach their goals. They have dedicated themselves and invested their heart into their work.
On the other hand, I've seen teams and individuals that cut corners, take the easy way out, and cheat themselves out of working hard. When  things don't go their way, they fold up and quit. Why? It's simple, they have not invested their heart into their training and have not worked hard. 

4. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for man. -Colossians 3:23
Hard work has great value and will help you go a long way in life. But, working hard for a greater purpose is even more powerful. When you work with all your heart and you do this for the Lord, then you'll push yourself beyond what your body and mind would normally allow. When you get tired, a signal flashes in your brain and says "You represent God, you are His creation, He has given you great abilities, now use them to glorify Him!"

This scripture can and should apply to every situation in our lives. If we are working on something we love or doing something out of duty, it doesn't matter. Our mindset in all things should be to work hard because we are doing this for God and not just ourselves or someone else. 

Bonus: All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. -Proverbs 14:23

Each of these points can be applied to sports, work, parenting, marriage, etc. 

Apply them to your life and never be afraid of that four letter word not written in graffiti on the walls... WORK!

God Bless,

Coach P