What’s at the heart of motivation? What activates passion? The gap between knowing what we need to do and doing is the real challenge. It takes unwavering commitment to draw out, invite, and inspire others to get to that next level and to bring to reality the magnificent possibilities that can become their future. To inspire them to strive for higher standards and display a commitment to excellence is essential. People who bind themselves to what they love tend to succeed in some way, shape or form.
When ESPN’s Page 2 columnists and editors were asked to rank their top twenty sports movies of all time it is no surprise that they included Rocky and Hoosiers. "Rocky" shows what one individual can do in the face of overwhelming odds, and "Hoosiers" is the ultimate parable for the underdog "team." Which sports movies would make your top twenty? Why? What did you like about them? No doubt something about those movies you picked made you feel like getting off the couch, getting out from behind the desk, skipping a day of work – they connected with that inner drive, fantasy, call it what you will to be someone filled with passion.
Just recently a member of the A.R.E. team asked a bunch of folks while playing golf their favorite sports movies and they included in their list, Chariots of Fire and The Legend of Bagger Vance. Chariots of Fire not so subtly tells us what consumes and motivates a championship athlete when it really isn't just about the money. Eric Liddell is known to most of us for his unwavering Christian convictions during the Olympic Games. At a critical point in the movie, Eric confidently and gently tells his sister who really would prefer that he join them in the mission’s field, “When I run I feel God’s pleasure.” Eric knows who he is, he understands what he has to offer and he does what matters. He functions as he believes; a man with a reason to run is always going to find a way to run just a little bit faster.
The Legend of Bagger Vance is a movie about a promising golfer Rannulph Junuh, Savannah, Georgia’s favorite son who returns home traumatized after fighting in World War I to a shadowy life as a drunken outcast. Years later he enters a four round, two day exhibition match between Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen, the best golfers of the era, with a grand prize of $10,000. Bagger Vance (A 'guardian angel' figure who appears at the most-needed moment in Junuh's life), gives Junuh wise advice, helps him rediscover his “swing” in the second round and helps him to make up for lost ground. He tells Junah that inside each and every one of us is one authentic swing. Our own swing and no one else’s swing. He is passionate about his mission with Junuh because he has confidence it will help him see who he is, see what he has to offer and do what matters. He knows his advice will amplify the passion that had been ignited and fan it ablaze thereby releasing his greatest potential.
In many ways Rocky, Hoosiers, The Legend of Bagger Vance and Chariots of Fire inspire us to journey toward maturity and the possibilities of our greatest potential being released. Close the gap with passion - it’s what we do at A.R.E.
We usually don't note which member of the A.R.E. team writes our blog posts - we all take turns! But today's post is from Bob Machamer, one of the newest members of our team. He will be writing more for the A.R.E. blog. Bob lives near Allentown, PA.
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