Are you preparing yourself for a Super Bowl party? You know this annual event we hold at the beginning of every February. I read somewhere that this day is the most celebrated non-holiday event in the world. The parties and events get more extravagant each year, not to mention the budgets for these little soirées.
Why do we hold this particular Sunday in such reverence? How has this day evolved into the national consciousness so much more that any other sporting event? Even if you a not a football fan, there is little chance that you will not be impacted by this event is some small way.
The answer is simple… Tradition! It’s just what we’ve always done. Traditions are those things that we celebrate and participate in, even if we don’t really understand the meaning. Traditions help us to connect the patchwork fabric from our disconnected society. Traditions also help give us context and framework to do something many have forgotten how to do…Connect.
It’s interesting that in this day, when we have all kinds of electronic gadgets, smart phones, smart pads and endless array of apps linked to social sites specifically designed to keep us connected, that studies are telling us more and more people than ever feel alone and disconnected from real human interaction.
You may say to yourself, “Tim- that’s all I do all day is connect with people through email, phone or text”
But ask yourself is that really connecting? Is that really getting to the core essence of human understanding, knowing what someone is really about, what’s important to them, and what they stand for. Or are you just getting a job done, a deal closed, or a problem sorted out. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with any of those, but can we at least agree that’s not connecting, that’s a transaction involved in doing a job.
There is just something special about the Super Bowl, which seems to draw all of us in. The event gives us a common language, encourages us to reach out to others and gather together. What’s wrong with that? The game itself is irrelevant; it’s the celebrations and the traditions that really mean something.
Look, I get it. We have some big problems in this world, and stopping everything for something as trivial as a game where big juiced up athletes do their best to give each other concussions all in a quest to push a leather toy across a painted line, may not seem like a worthwhile endeavor. But hey, that’s why they call it “sport” it’s just supposed to be fun. More importantly it’s an annual reminder to get together with a group of friends or family and do something we could all use a bit more of…Connect.
Now pass the Guacamole Please!
Ask yourself this week:
Are you feeling connected to the people in your life that you care about the most?
How do you connect with the people you work with, beyond just getting the job done?
Whom are you going to schedule some time with (maybe a super bowl party)?
What other traditions do you hold on an annual basis that allow you to connect people in your life?
In honor of the Super Bowl all Thoughts for the week are attributed to one of the greatest coaches of all time… Vince Lombardi
“Winning is a habit. Watch your thoughts, they become your beliefs. Watch your beliefs, they become your words. Watch your words, they become your actions. Watch your actions, they become your habits. Watch you habits, they become your character”
“The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary”
“The Quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor”
“Winning is a habit, unfortunately so is losing”
“Success is never final, failure is never fatal, and it’s courage that counts”
“Perfection is unattainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence”
“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will”
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up”
“The good lord gave you a body that can stand most anything, it’s your mind you have to convince”
“If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm
Looking forward to our next connection
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