Being a New York Mets fan and the way the team is playing right
now, I am having flashbacks to the 1975-1984 time period where
every September the team would already be out of contention and the
team would call up the many promising rookies they had, all with
the idea the organization and its players would compete hard, under
the tired announcers' adage of "playing for next year".
There was always hope the following year would be different and
it brought more of the same dashed hopes and extra pain knowing the
crosstown rivals New York Yankees would almost always field a
winner. Fast forward to the last 3-4 years and the same cycle has
emerged. Why do I bring this up? One, I guess it helps to vent when
you're a diehard sports fan, but more importantly the idea of
playing for next year gets into a deeper thought process of what
many still do in their own personal/professional lives.
There is always that one or two things we talk about doing -
getting a new career, new job, opening a business, saving money so
you can begin investing, work on our health and physical
well-being, finding Mr. or Miss Wonderful, and so on. Like watching
the crosstown rivals, there are plenty of reminders of those seeing
great levels of success all around us. Think about the family
functions where there is always a scoreboard-like conversation of
how cousin Bobby and sister Dana are crushing it in their careers,
and then the magnifying glass is pointed to the direction that may
not be doing so hot and you will hear the "when are they going to
get their act together" summation almost on queue.
Lots of times, just the thought of trying to be one better than
those around you can stop someone in their tracks before they can
even get started. In sports, losing is often termed as contagious.
It infects those who are in the environment and doesn't get cured
until that special one or two players come in and change the
dynamic of the situation. It can be with a wide-eyed rookie who
knows know better or in a trade for a veteran that can add a new
perspective to the clubhouse. How many times have we seen bad teams
trade for veteran players that have had a great level of success,
just because they want to instill a new level of confidence to a
team that doesn't know much about winning.
For anyone out there or anyone we may know of that has not been
able to get out of the proverbial funk, it is important to
understand how critical it is to begin to think about making those
necessary changes to not only get progress in motion, but to build
the confidence needed for the all-important momentum swing that can
carry one from little incentive/hope to a feeling of pride and
accomplishment.
You see, every year you decide to ease up assuming things will
get better next year, the longer the fix will eventually take. In a
world where opportunities are getting slimmer, time isn't so much
on one's side as you may believe. Having a sense of urgency is
needed if you are to be the one many will one day start
emulating.
I can't tell you how amazing the feeling is when we get e-mails
at Dividend.com telling us how ecstatic people feel about the
portfolio returns they have been receiving with dividend investing.
It's like a light has been turned on and there is hope and a belief
that one can manage their own investments and not get burned as is
often the case. I can tell you that just the idea of seeing solid
returns begets other successes in life, with no exaggeration. Just
as losing can be contagious, winning is even more contagious. At
one time or another, some of us will have decided losing money in
the markets or poor financial decisions will no longer be
tolerated, and that is when the key moment in our lives begin. For
Mets' fans sakes, let's hope the team's top brass is watching the
awful play and figure out a plan to avoid a repeat of the doldrums
of times' past.
Keep these thoughts in mind as some of us embark on a new
journey for success, while others try and maintain the level of
achievement we have grown accustomed to.
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Thank you for sharing part of your weekend with me, and please
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