Do any of you guys have people in your life who make you feel like they’re keeping tabs on you? As if they’re the umpire of your life. Like they have the right to give or take points from your proverbial scoreboard?

A recent conversation with a friend reminded me of how important it is to identify these people who freely offer unsolicited commentary on what and how I do things. It’s good for me to remember that I can pause and decide if this person is coming to me as a helpful coach or as a junior scorekeeper who thinks they know how the game of life should be played. And based on my assessment of their approach and intention—I get to decide to listen or completely ignore them.

Given my history, I have to be just as careful not to slip into thinking that I have the right to call balls and strikes in someone else’s game. Especially because, TeamConfessioners, the better I get at recognizing bad plays, the more I want to bring it to other people’s attention. Now, if someone comes to me asking for my call, I get to approach that honor as a loving coach who wants what’s best for that person’s team. Not as an official attempting to control someone else with my judgment and criticism from my imaginary book of rules. 

This topic reminded me that I don’t have to look to my spouse, my kids, my family, or my friends to tell me how I’m doing in my game of life. I get to choose how I’m doing. I’m no one else’s scoreboard and no one else is mine. Hey umpires—you’re out!

Lately, a great reset for me is saying out loud, “I love you just the way you are.” Somehow, speaking those words resets my brain to remember that I always have the choice to love both myself and others exactly as we are in this moment. No modifications, no improvements, just love.

All this baseball talk got me thinking about how I want to show up on my own field, so next week, I’ll be sharing what I came up with. Please be sure to tune in for that and for all of my McCormick cousins and Irish friends—Happy early St. Patrick’s Day. I’ll be thinking about you all this week even more than I already do! Thanks so much for listening, Team~