#020 – A Man of the Age
A Man of the Age. The rarest individuals depend on their age. It is not everyone that finds the age he deserves, and even when he finds it he does not always know how to utilize it. Some men have been worthy of a better century, for every species of good does not always triumph. Things have their period; even excellences are subject to fashion. The sage has one advantage: he is immortal. If this is not his century many others will be.
As a coach, we must remember that we will not always see the fruit of our labors in real time. We are planting the seeds that eventually grow into greatness. There are times that it can be frustrating not seeing the growth we want from a player or team, but we forget that we are setting them up for the future. The real value is seeing the path of those we work with down the road. That is where the true rewards lie. Once a player or student leaves their time with you as a coach, they do not stop carrying those lessons with them. They build upon them, they carry you with them. Your coaching will live with them forever. How much that shows and guides them when you are not there with them, is up to you. Like the final line says, maybe their time with you was not their time to shine, but when they do shine down the road, your lessons and guidance were a part of that spark. Take pride in that.
This blog series is based on the book “The Art of Worldly Wisdom” by Balthasar Gracián. This book was written for advice on how to achieve personal and professional success. This blog series aims to visit the points of wisdom and put them in the spotlight of the coaching and education lens.
