Be the Catalyst!

I think back to my son Landon and his journey in youth soccer. He was 5 or 6 and just getting started. He would always tell me before and after every game how many goals he was going to score or how many he did score. My response as his father and the coach? "It isn't always about the goals scored; the assists or passes can mean just as much."

Let's start talking about them.

By the end of the season, I noticed a change. There was a girl on our team who was smaller than the rest and struggled to get opportunities to score. Toward the end of the season, I remember my son kicking (not dribbling) down the field and was open for a shot. He stopped. He looked for that little girl on his team and passed her the ball. She didn't score at first, but each time he got the ball he would look for her and keep passing.... UNTIL...she scored! For all of the smiles my son had when he scored, the smiles and hugs that happened after the ASSIST were monumental. In that moment, that game, my son became a catalyst.

To be the catalyst in any scenario isn't one who gets all the glory. Sometimes the action is behind the scenes and never seen. The action of the catalyst is that one block on the offensive line, the pass into the paint in basketball, the doing the right thing when no one is watching. It is the support we can give another – the encouragement when the hill seems too large, the hand that reaches out to help guide through the darkness.

At times, I can get caught up in the wins, the moments of success and even at times the moments of frustration and failure. In my journey of mindset, I am left to remind myself that wins can come in support of others: to make that pass and not expect the glory, to lead from the back allowing for the TEAM to succeed.

To be the catalyst is leading through selflessness. And recognizing the catalysts in our own world who selflessly help us be the best version of ourselves can be among the most rewarding moments.

Scoring the goals is great. But be open to celebrate the successes with those who are your catalysts, and be open to the be the catalyst for others. It is a mindset of selflessness, of self leadership, and one more opportunity for growth.

How are you winning?