When You Feel Like Giving Up

Ladies, when you feel like giving up, I want you to hold onto this truth. We all struggle with this constant battle of believing in ourselves. In the world of softball, there are girls just like you who were on the verge of realizing their dreams. Yet, despite their potential, something held them back. Maybe it was fear knocking on their door, or perhaps doubt managed to sneak its way into their hearts. Those girls stood where you stand now, facing a pivotal choice. But for whatever reason they chose to tap out and give up on themselves just a step or two away from their dreams. That choice altered their dreams forever. Now imagine the weight of their decisions, perhaps regretting the paths they chose over persevering in the game that they cherished.

But here's the beautiful part: your story isn't theirs. You have the power to reshape your journey. See those tough moments as opportunities for growth, not as roadblocks or dead ends. Create a different ending for yourself. One without regret. Instead of giving in to uncertainty, view it as a chance to build resilience. Let the doubts you encounter become the fuel to ignite your determination.

And that's where I come in – my goal is to guide you away from their pitfalls. Together, let's dive into the heart of courage and self-belief, sparking a fire within each of you to conquer those moments when the urge to quit lingers. With open hearts and shared dedication, we'll craft a new narrative, one that replaces doubt with persistence and transforms challenges into victories.

In the upcoming pages, I pray that you'll find the inspiration and guidance to transform setbacks into set ups on your path to success. Each of you has the potential for greatness, and I'm here to remind you of that every step of the way.

So, let's walk this journey together, with an open heart and mind. I believe in you, and I know that together, we'll unleash the champion that has been locked within. Get ready to embrace your full potential and create a legacy of triumph on the softball field and in life. Let's make this journey one for the books!

Girls, I cannot stress enough how important it is for you to not fall prey to fear, self-doubt, and just simply not believing that you are enough. I know it’s easier to say and harder to do but for some of you, time may not be on your side. You may think that you have plenty of time, but that kind of thought process leads to complacency. You cannot afford to waste time on self-limiting beliefs. So, let's change how we think right now. How we think of ourselves means everything in the sports world. Your thoughts will shape your beliefs and your beliefs will shape your actions. That’s why it’s so important to be aware of the harmful things that we say to ourselves that can lead to disbelief. So, stop telling yourselves that you stink as a pitcher or that you are a terrible batter. It’s funny, you would never tell your teammates that they are terrible, but you are so quick to tell those same lies to yourselves. If you won’t say that to your teammates, then why would you say it to yourself? It’s unfortunate that you believe the lies that you tell yourself and the more you don’t get the outcomes that you are looking for, the more you start to believe those lies to be true. If you are not careful, you could consume yourself with these negative thoughts of yourselves that will stunt your growth. All this does is hold you back.

It reminds me of what I would call the "Wizard of Oz effect." Remember when Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Lion, and the Tin Man set out on an incredible journey to seek help from the Wizard? Each of them had specific needs that they were longing for. The Scarecrow yearned for a brain, the Lion sought courage and the Tin Man believed that he had no heart. But when they arrived to meet the wizard, two things became very clear. Firstly, the wizard was a fraud. Nothing more than a con man. Secondly, the best thing that they realized was that everything that they had been seeking was already within them; they simply hadn't recognized it.