A Creative…

"View your life from your funeral: Looking back at your life experiences, what have you accomplished? What would you have wanted to accomplish but didn't? What were the happy moments? What were the sad? What would you do again, and what wouldn't you do?"

Victor Frankl

My go-get-'em tiger friends on occasion take short cuts; they do not worry about perfection; they want results. Which is why it is also good to know influencers who inspire through creativity. One of my sons is about to release his second album. It is so good. I keep telling him that he should release a recommended reading list of books on history, philosophy, sports and politics that have inspired his lyrics. The musical vibe may be cheerful and even a bit pop-ish at times. The beat gets my feet moving. But the message? Wow. It is broad and long and deep.

Creatives long for and require authenticity; they stand close to their values in all they do. They inspire me.

Could this be you? Can you think of others in your life who have this capacity and inspire you?

What is Holding You Back?

Diego Schwartzman is an Argentinian tennis player who looks like a guy a betting man would bet against. He’s 28 years old, 5’ 7” and weighs 141 pounds. Imagine him going up against some of the hulking tennis players of our time. He became a pro in 2010. In 2021 he won his first ATP tour title in Buenos Aires, his home turf.

Watch Schwartzman play and even if you’re distracted with a big bowl of popcorn and scrolling through your text messages, it’s easy to spot: the biggest thing about this guy is his heart. He believes.

Post match, his defeated opponent, a fellow Argentinian by the name of Francisco Cerundolo said, “He is very inspiring.”

Yes. Yes. Yes.

It is inspiring to watch heart win. Schwartzman lost this same tournament in the finals two years ago. He spoke on Sunday about how sad he was to lose on the only court where family and friends ever get a chance to see him play. But this year? He won.

This can only happen with someone who is more interested in growing than they are in feeding their ego. He came back; he tried again. This time he won but both times he gave it his all. It just turns out that after two more years of growing, this time the win happened to go on his stat sheet.

I’m NOT saying that if we try harder we will eventually win. In fact, when it comes to matters of faith I am pretty sure that is absolutely not promised us. But what I am saying is that it is very inspiring to see a guy with a big heart keep going after his dream.

What dream are you holding back on pursuing? Why? What would a growth mindset tell you to consider?