How can you NOT be in awe of Tom Brady this morning? And, more importantly, INSPIRED by him?
Admittedly, I am Team TB, and have been since he was my QB when I was still a student at UM. No player has contributed more to my love of sports, and especially football, than he has. It’s hard to imagine the game after he’s gone. I’ve built my schedule around watching his biggest moments over the last 15 or so years, and he is unquestionably my favorite person to follow on Insta, where his hype videos are the posts I look forward to all week!
But his performance last night has really left me thinking about a whole lot of other things…aging and leadership and, most importantly, career risk.
Dude was *42* when he was like, “Nah, New England, keep your dynasty…I’m gonna take off and try to do this someplace else.”
42 was when he was supposed to be COMFORTABLE. 42 when he was supposed to be thinking about retirement.
But at 42, he went for a new, unprecedented challenge…moving to a brand new team and trying to inspire them to play the way he plays.
It looked ugly for much of the year…I remember watching SportsCenter in November and being told, “He just can’t do it like he used to.”
He might not be able to THROW or RUN like he used to, but it’s clear that his influence was just getting started. The discipline, the love for the work AND the game, the team mentality…all of that was just getting cemented around the time WE were thinking he was falling apart.
It makes me think about my own career, TBH. What fun is there in being comfortable? I’m a heck of a lot less close to retirement than he is bc MONEY obviously…so why shouldn’t I take some risks? I’m sure he will tell you he learned and grew and probably had a hell of a lot more fun this year than in so many years past.
Even when you THINK you have it pretty good, you can always have it better. Or at least, have fun trying. Why is the idea of mixing it up so scary to most of us? Why are we so afraid of losing what we have when pursuing what we want?
Maybe it’s time to just say, in the words of Tom Brady, “LFG.”
Well said Lissa I am guilty of being comfortable, after all I am 71 same wife same job same band same kids same house, same guitar But I’ve always been happy.
Yeah but it didn’t turn out so bad for you, did it, Dad? 🙂 There’s also a lot to be said for staying put when you have legitimate job security the way you did…which is something that doesn’t really exist for many of us today. We *think* that by staying put we are doing ourselves a security favor, but sometimes it’s actually just the opposite because we AREN’T learning and growing enough to be considered “top talent.”
Love this!
Yay! Love YOU for reading and commenting. Means the world to me! xoxo!
Love reading your thoughts, Melissa. As for change….some of us have had change come unexpectedly. The past is behind us, and we should be grateful for it. It is important to enjoy where you are today. Set a good example and live in the now, preparing for the future! ?
Some change comes way, WAY too fast…and you couldn’t be more right…the ONLY way to prepare for it is to make sure you enjoyed yesterday and today to the fullest. SO MUCH TRUTH there, Aunt Mary…THANK YOU! xoxo
Love it. 2014 I switched it up completely and am so thankful I lept. There is so much growth in learning how to be uncomfortable on a way to making real shit happen.
My retirement is a giggly idea far off in the future…. but the life I get to live now is so worth it.
Thank you for writing this.
I love seeing you follow your heart from afar and you’ve made amazing and valuable choices. It makes me laugh when I think about our high school career assessment tests…PRETTY SURE your last few jobs weren’t on there but couldn’t possibly be more relevant or meaningful today. But then again, the one thing we DID know was that you would do something incredibly special. That was ALWAYS clear! 🙂
Love hearing your thoughts! This statement resonated with me, “What fun is there in being comfortable?” So much of this is a personal choice with timing and life circumstance weighing in. In discomfort comes growth, but neither are always fun! ? may we all be as lucky as The GOAT!
Love hearing your thoughts! This statement resonated with me, “What fun is there in being comfortable?” So much of this is a personal choice with timing and life circumstance weighing in. In discomfort comes growth, but neither are always fun! ? may we all be as lucky as The GOAT!
The question is…when are the timing and life circumstances ever REALLY right? I’ll always be waiting for the “perfect” time…no free agency trigger here.