Heroes

Last weekend our local university’s men’s basketball team won the Division II National Championship. WaHOOOoooo! Let me tell you, it took a lot of heroes giving 100% to pull that one off.

What an exciting game to watch! I got to enjoy the thrill of victory without the agony of pulling a hamstring or breaking a sweat.

And that got me thinking… Why is it so dang enthralling for us to watch people give it their all?

Hmmm… maybe because we know how difficult that is to do in our own “grown up” lives.

Think about it. When you’re young, you throw your whole heart into things. Remember that first love? 100% of your heart, right? How about the first manuscript you sent out? High hopes of the whole heart, no doubt.

Well, the trouble with throwing hearts is the same trouble you have when you throw just about anything… Breakage.

And after picking up the pieces (a.k.a. “maturing”), a lot of folks decide that the best protection for rejection is holding back. “From here on out,” they say. “Nobody and nothin’ – no way, no how is gettin’ all of my heart. I’m keepin' great big chunks the size of Texas just for me!” – add a “cryin’ in my beer” line, and you’ve got an award-winning country song.

The trouble with holding back is that it’s like dancing in a straitjacket. It doesn’t work. And, trust me, the attempt is not pretty.

Heroes don’t hold back. They throw 100% of their big, fat, red hearts again and again and let the pieces fall where they may.

Take the endearing Harry Potter. Was he half-hearted? “Gee, I dunno, I think maybe I can fit in a fight with Voldemort next Tuesday. But only before 3:00 – I have a dentist appointment.”

How about Ron and Hermione? Did they give only 65% of their hearts to friendship? “Ummm, sure Harry, we’re your “friends”... but only in a Facebookie sort of way. You really can’t expect our involvement when, uh, death is on the line. Duh!”

Ah, but that’s fiction, right?

Well, I don’t know about you, but I really don’t want my kid’s teacher to be half-hearted… or my financial advisor… or my surgeon.

And I’m pretty sure the whole heart business is just as critical when it comes to the business of art. I’m thinking Picasso gave more than 45%. Composer John Williams? Yep. Author Suzanne Collins – for sure.

So, go ahead and write all the country songs you want to about your busted up half a heart that won’t be thrown into nothin’ never again. That’s a great creative exercise.

Just try not to live that way.

PROMPT: Be a hero! Get out there and start flinging heart – 100%! You only get one dance with this particular body, mind, and cast of characters. Don’t do it in a straitjacket. Start that book. Send in that manuscript again and again… and again… (that’s 27 “agains” if you're Dr. Seuss). Pitch to that gallery. When you’re tired, don’t quit – take a nap. Who knows? You might just save your career, your relationship… yourself.