Babe Ruth is one of those athletes whose life has become legendary. Decades after his death, he is still held up as a sports hero, someone to be admired and respected — to be emulated.
And yet, “the Babe” was not perfect. He struck out. The beauty of it is, he took those strikes in stride and kept aiming for the home runs.
I like his attitude. A lot.
We all have our opportunities to come up to bat — figuratively speaking, of course. To swing — and either hit a home run … or at least get on base. Or maybe we hit a foul ball. Or strike out. The question is: what are we going to do with our chances at bat? If we strike out, are we going to head back to the dugout and hide there? Or are we going to come back out the next time, refocused on a home run?
No one can swing the bat for me — except me. Sure, I can get coaching. (And I think it’s wise to do just that.) But ultimately it’s me and the opportunity … home run or strike. But a strike isn’t lethal — unless I choose to let it be a death blow instead of just one swing closer to a home run.
In Your Words: How’s it going for you right now? Are you hitting home runs? Getting on base? Or striking out? What keeps you coming back and trying again when you’re not seeing the results you’ve hoped for?
[Tweet “In Others’ Words: Go Ahead – Strike Out! #inotherswords #lifequotes #BabeRuth”] [Tweet “Strikes, Homeruns, and a Life Lesson #inotherswords #quotes #perseverance”]
Comments 11
I’ve always loved his quote! Great encouragement today, Beth:)
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I just found this quote last night, Susan. It’s a new favorite!
It’s a quote that I find, oddly enough, to which I can’t really relate.
For me, life is about process and continuum, not a series of discrete events. I do what I can under the circumstances, making decisions and taking risks with a calculation of what might be won versus that which has to be expended, in terms of time, energy, and resources.
It’s the Vulcan way.
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The Vulcan way.
Hmmmm … which makes me wonder: Were you a fan of Leonard Nimoy?
Oh, yes. As Spock, he did more to shape the cultural life of this country, and the world, than almost anyone else, and in a very positive way.
Great post, Beth. I love the analogy. I feel like I’m hitting base hits. The progress forward is slow. But it is progress forward, so that is a good thing.
I guess what keeps me coming back is multi-faceted. I believe this is the path God has me on. I love the story I’m working on. I’ve gotten good feedback, which I come back to when the hard days come. I have cheerleaders who push me forward when I’m thinking about giving up. 🙂
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Base hits are progress.
And the thing about base hits is they can be turned into home runs, right? 🙂
I kind of feel like I’ve just stepped up to the plate. 🙂 In many ways.
Sweet post. Such a reminder that we keep trying.
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And we start by stepping up to the plate. And then we swing!
I’m a little worn out, not feeling the best–maybe too much winter, but better weather’s coming & I should have energy back soon. I’m most worn out when I don’t know what to do about a situation. Maybe take some time sitting on the bench watching the pros swing–then I’ll get back in the game.
While not the #1 strikeout leader (that belongs to Reggie Jackson at 2597 strikeouts) the Babe had 1330 of them. My philosophy is if you don’t try, you’ll never hit the ball. Good post!