A message from Steve...

I shared this picture on social media 20 weeks ago. This is Josh Allen and me in good spirits and all smiles after I had just finished delivering a Game On session with the Buffalo Bills players, coaches, and staff.

20 weeks ago, it was pre-season, HBO Hard Knocks cameras were rolling, and every team, player, coaching staff, and fan was starting with the same record of 0-0. And with that mutual starting line, there’s that universal fuel of hope, optimism, opportunity, and that feeling of “anything is possible” that inevitably surfaces before the NFL season, or any season, begins.

And now, with that pre-season fuel long gone, my hope is this post provides some perspective and some practical takeaways, so we don’t let touchdowns and turnovers, catches and drops, underthrows and overthrows, and interceptions and take-aways, become the cause of our joy to be taken away.

- It’s easy to have HOPE when we’re all “0-0”. It’s not as easy to have hope 20 weeks later when the season ends abruptly.
Take away: Find that hope in something bigger and better than a good or missed call.

- It’s easy to have that OPTIMISM when we’re featured on Hard Knocks. It’s not as easy to find that optimism when you or your team suffers an unexpected hard knock.
Take away: Hold on to that optimism when the cameras are off and you’re unsure of the next play.

- It’s easy to sense the OPPORTUNITY when you’re in the lead. It’s not as easy when you feel the call doesn’t go your way.
Take away: Look for those opportunities that are not reliant on another person’s
approval.

- It’s easy to have that “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE” feeling when the season, the game, or the year is about to begin. It’s not as easy to have that feeling of possibility when the score doesn’t end in you or your team’s favor.
Take away: Define what winning truly means to you, and have faith that you’re not on this journey alone.

I strongly believe sports can give us hope, optimism, opportunity, and that feeling of “anything is possible”. I’ve lived it. But one thing I’ve learned over the years, and from getting behind the scenes and experiencing some hard knocks, is that the players, these coaches, and those refs, are incredibly elite and can seem larger than life. And with the superhero persona we often bestow upon them, they are also human, imperfect, and flawed, just like all of us. Remembering this gives me some much-needed perspective as I go through the ups and downs of all sorts of seasons.

Wherever you are in your journey, however your team is playing, and however you are doing, here’s to the inevitable wins and losses, touchdowns and turnovers, overthrows and underthrows, and continuing to learn from all the take aways.

And here’s to having proper perspective, enjoying the game without allowing it to rule our lives, getting ready for our next season, and preparing for all that’s possible. Game On.