Many times I’ve spoken about the overlaps between soccer and life. There are so many that I’m not sure that I even notice all of them. I doubt very heavily that the inventors of the game did much of it on purpose. They were not intending to create a game that would be almost universally loved. It just happened. However, I believe wholeheartedly that the similarities between soccer and life are the reason for its world dominance. People embrace it because it feels like home to a certain extent and they see themselves reflected back. One of the key components to the game is the idea of possession. Other than the “six seconds” that goalkeeper holds the ball after a save, the ball can never be truly possessed by anyone. The ball doesn’t belong to anyone and if you want to keep it, you’ll have to work for it.
The metaphor of “half possession” could be used for so many things: fitness, relationships, intelligence, money, attention, time, etc. Therefore it’s probably best to deal with the concept rather than the application to one single facet. We don’t own anything! That’s a tough pill to swallow but take a moment to consider anything that you “own” and you’re just renting, leasing or borrowing it. The closest thing that you have to a true possession is your mind but you probably lend that to other people more than you’d like, just like me. Everything is a half possession that you must work to maintain. People will try to steal them from you. Time will erode them away if not counteracted. You will get distracted by other half possessions and let ones go into disappearance or disrepair. Whether entropy or larceny, it’s all going away at some point. This is one of the best things about being human! WAIT! WHAT? How is the fact that I don’t truly own anything a positive? Because you get to choose!
You get to choose the things that you’re going to fight for! Nothing is a given. If you want something to stick around, you need to focus on the steps in order to make that happen. It’s not a foregone conclusion that anything that you have will be here tomorrow. It also makes gratitude a necessity on the level of breathing. Being thankful for the things that you have now is crucial because their presence is only certain for the present.
The best players in the world are maestros with the ball. They make it bend to their will because they have intention and focus. As you go throughout your day, DECIDE regularly what you want to hold onto. It doesn’t belong to you but you can do your best to keep it around for a little while! Respect the half possession that you have on everything in your life. Otherwise you’ll be lamenting all of the things that you’ve lost in the end. It doesn’t belong to you but maybe the fact that it doesn’t will make you care just that little bit more!
Pete
Huryk Unlimited 