Kickers Know Best

Kickers Know Best

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8

During my career as a player and a coach, I worked with some of the best kickers in the National Football League—guys like Adam Vinatieri, Mike Vanderjagt, Michael Husted, and Martín Gramática. One of the things they all had in common was the ability to focus on the positive. They always believed they were going to make the next kick. The really successful kickers are able to envision the ball splitting the uprights, dead center. They know from experience that negative thoughts doom their efforts.

Since a lot of a kicker’s time is spent on the sideline waiting, each of them has a different technique to help maintain his focus until the crucial moment he is called onto the field. Some talk about other things with their coaches or teammates. Some kickers sit by themselves and relax. Some focus on the goalposts at the far end of the field that present a much narrower target, so that when they line up facing the goalposts that are their actual target, they appear much wider and inviting. Others pray.

Essentially, these kickers do what the apostle Paul suggests we do in whatever setting we find ourselves: focus on the positive; fix our thoughts on things that are good and right and pure. On the field or in our homes or at work, when we think of our spouses, our children, friends, employees, or coworkers—we should fix our thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. We should think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Adopting a positive attitude, even when you’re under pressure or the odds seem stacked against you, nearly always assures a positive outcome. And thinking of people in a positive light changes how you treat them.

Uncommon Key > No matter what you face in life, approach it with a positive outlook. Consider what’s true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable about the situation or the person. And go from there.