How You Use Your Time
People are not born equal in every respect, but time is given equally to everyone. You are free to decide how to spend the 24 hours in a day. If you are standing on the baseball field right now, that is the result of your own choice, isn't it?
So why did you decide to spend this part of your day playing baseball? More fundamentally, why do you play baseball at all? What inspired you to start playing in the first place?
My Story
I started playing baseball when I was in the first grade of elementary school. At first, I admired professional baseball players and simply imitated them because they looked cool. But I soon came to love baseball because hitting, throwing, and catching a ball was fun, and because it was exciting to see myself gradually improve.
When people truly love something, they become so absorbed in it that they forget about time and even hunger. It was exactly the experience described by the phrase “forgetting food and sleep”—becoming completely immersed in something.
I could hardly wait for practice every Sunday. I wanted to get as many hits as possible, field as many balls as possible, and I remember competing with my teammates in everything we did. I loved the feeling of hitting the ball squarely on the sweet spot of the bat, so during games I was always eager for my next turn at the plate. I also loved the feeling of a perfectly thrown ball leaving my fingers and the challenge of diving for difficult fly balls. As a catcher, I would actually look forward to stolen-base attempts and catcher-pop flies.
There is no doubt that these experiences in youth baseball became the motivation that kept me involved in the sport for many years afterward.
The Reason You Are Here
You probably play baseball because you love it too. Even so, there are times when your body feels heavy or you simply do not feel motivated.
Baseball is a team sport, so you cannot participate only when you feel like it. You have to attend practices and games regardless of your mood. And if you are going to participate, you must do so actively; otherwise, you cannot expect meaningful results.
That is why, whenever you step onto the field, you should first ask yourself:
“Why am I here right now?”
Then check whether you still feel:
“I want to hit as soon as possible!”
“I want to touch the ball as much as I can!”
If you genuinely feel that way, there is no problem.
But if you do not, try to remember how you felt when you first started playing baseball. Think about the people who would be happiest to see you perform well in a game.
Doing so will rekindle your motivation and help make your time on the field more meaningful and fulfilling.
PDF Link : 3. Time