Have you found your passion?

“I’ve fought the fight – life lessons through a football great”

You may or May not be a sports fan. You may or may not be a football fan, but you would have to be living in a hole not to know who Peyton Manning is, and what significant event happened today.

You can call me different than many women. I grew up in sports. I now have only sons and our lives revolve around sports. I would not wish to have it any other way. I watched a man today cry his eyes out thanking the world for the career of a lifetime. I cried right along side him, by the way.

I’ve been lucky enough to meet a lot of professional athletes in my lifetime (including Peyton) – but I can tell you after the heartfelt speech that Peyton delivered today – I would be STAR STRUCK to meet him again. Not because of his stats of an incredible hall of fame career, but because of the man he is. Because of the role model of who little boys and young men should strive to be – OFF the field.

Father, brother, husband, son, friend, teammate, leader, ambassador to the community – he excelled at all.

Peyton thanked many, and had several quotes today that stick in my mind but a couple jumped out. First,

“There were other players who were more talented, but there was no one who could out-prepare me.”

There are so many lessons in this statement. He led from the front. He never asked his teammates to do anything that he also did not do first. He led with integrity, high standards, incredible determination and a no quit attitude. Everyone can learn from these attributes and apply to anything in life.

At the end of the day – Peyton over prepared – he was ready for anything that was going to be thrown at him , even adversity, injuries, critics, business politics, the media. But he never gave up. Peyton retired today after 18 years. He retired on top, with another championship. He’s leaving on his terms – no one else’s – the great people get to decide that.

It brings me to another thought. Training for football is what this man has been raised to do. So what now?

Yes, he has his wife and two young children, all the money in the world – but with his passion for the game – there will be a void. He answered that question best. To paraphrase, “I’m going to take a vacation. I am going to enjoy this time, but I know that whatever’s next its going to be the start of something great.”

This reminds me of a great quote I posted just the other day:

“The things that you are passionate about are not random. They are your calling.” 

So get out there and find your passion – I know #18 will.

Peyton also said, “football has taught me not to be led by obstructions and setbacks, but instead to be led by dreams. Because every moment, every drop of sweat, every bleary-eyed night of preparation, every note I took and every frame of film I watched was about one thing: reverence for the game.”

He concluded with a final thought. A scripture reading 2Timothy 4:7: “I have fought the good fight and I have finished the race. I have kept the faith,” I have fought the good fight. It’s time.

So I ask you this – what are you passionate about? Go find it. Because when you combine passion with a career – it’s a gift. NO one can take a gift away. I thank Moms Making Six Figures every day for giving me a gift no one can ever take from me.