Storms

This is a re-post of part of a column called “The Next Pitch” by Scott Couchenour. It’s part of his blog Serving Strong. See the entire entry by clicking this link. Given present circumstances, too relevant not to share.

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The score is tied 3 to 3. It’s the bottom of the ninth. Two outs. The count is 3 balls, 2 strikes. The pitcher has just received the signal from the catcher and is winding up to throw the next pitch.

[PUSH PAUSE]

Look into the eyes of the batter. Notice what’s going on. Everything around him fades away. It’s just his bat and the next oncoming ball. He has no idea how the ball is going to come at him. It could be high and outside, fast, slow, knuckle ball, changeup, or curve ball. But everything about the batter is completely still.

We must be ready for what comes our way when working with the needs of people. One of my former coaching clients (a great thinker) put it well,

“There is a ‘right time’ to rest and a ‘right kind’ of rest – not based on the need to recover from a recent sprint or marathon, but based on the need to be prepared for the next pitch coming my way. There is a stillness, a single-mindedness, a centered calm that can be chosen, adopted, breathed into my heart and mind, as the key element of physical, emotional, and spiritual preparation for the next task to come.

“As I sit by the stream in my back yard on a cool, windy spring day, I am aware of coming storms. Some people only know how to prepare for storms by getting busy (batten down the hatches, stow away the patio furniture, stock up on batteries, and check the flashlights.) I am learning how to prepare for a storm – by being still.”