Life Lessons We Can Learn from Andrew Luck
He got boo’ed. Name-called. And told he was a quitter.
When Andrew Luck announced his retirement, frustration, for many fans, took over. But what can we ALL learn from Luck’s decision – not just in football, but in life?
The Bran Warrior’s Neal Phalora breaks down the conversation on how to react “when our heroes say NO.”
NO to making decisions not in my best interest.
Andrew Luck said, “I’m going to retire, it is not an easy decision, honestly it is the hardest decision of my life.” Being a hero is not all about strength and big plays. It is also about authenticity and vulnerability. Success remains this enigma for most, because of our unspoken agreement to keep the journey and multiple “NO’s” along the way darkly veiled. Luck’s strength here is in talking about a difficult decision publicly. It’s not all champagne and caviar. He begins his remarks by saying that, “…but it is the right decision for me.” Let’s be honest, when is the last time you or somebody you know publicly declared that they were at the center of a decision you made?
- NO to being unhappy
Luck also remarked that, “I felt stuck in it and the only way I see out, is to no longer play football. It has taken my joy of the game away.” Let’s pour on the snide remarks that, “if you pay me $$$, I’d learn to be joyful!” Time and time again studies have shown that money does not bring happiness. Many great TED talks and work place studies show that what we want is to do something that meets our need to be happy, contributing, and emotionally satisfied. Joy is a healthy choice that creates more freedom. Joy also attracts money. Note the reverse is not true. Luck makes the truly affluent choice here for joy. - NO to being stuck in life and NO mediocrity
“For the last 4 years or so I have been in this cycle of injury, pain, rehab. I have been stuck in this process. I have not been able to live the life I want to live.” This is my favorite statement by Luck. What he is talking about here might not seem relatable. However, it is one the most common problems I see in people. They are literally stuck in a pattern in life. 99% of your challenges are due to your stuck thinking in your brain. For Luck to able to acknowledge where he was stuck is simply amazing. Luck goes on to recognize that he has been living a substandard life. In most workplaces, you find those that talk often about wanting to make change out of a pattern of misery only to find themselves there year after year. Luck stands up and makes the change in the most public of ways. And while that is not the touch down that any of us Colts fans were hoping for this year, it is one huge Hail Mary to save his life. The toughest fights along a hero’s journey are those that break our cycles of thinking and behavior. - NO to putting myself second.
“Vow to myself….that I would choose me. I have a lot of clarity in this.” Luck is talking about a team sport, right?! The “I” in team here is most important lesson of all. You can not care and contribute all you have to give if you don’t take care of you. In fashion with Asimov’s 3rd Law of Robotics, Luck makes a vow to himself to avoid actions or situations that would bring him harm. Most of us are at our wits end about why we are so overwhelmed, while doing the “right” things. But do those things really put you first? The clarity comes when you choose you in face of what seems like extreme opportunity cost. Luck’s vow to himself is the zenith of the heroes journey.
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