Yesterday I had the privilege of watching my little sister play volleyball and be a leader on her team. I must admit that being a big sister will never be a job title I get tired of, and the proud moments just keep coming as she continues to teach me so much about life I never realized.
I used to play sports in Jr. High, and when I played it was always because I had fun doing so. I was big into softball -- it was my sport. I wanted to be a pitcher someday, and really thought I stood a chance...until I started throwing. :) I realized very quickly that it wasn't a future plan for me, so I just had fun with it. I'd go out on the field with a smile and play the game for fun.
Eventually when high school came around, it seemed that playing for fun wasn't the rule anymore...we were playing to win. It didn't take me long to realize that I was not competitive enough to keep playing, so I was a choir girl instead, but loved watching my school compete. Today when things got hard, the volleyball girls would get frustrated and quit having fun. You could see defeat in their faces, and instead of smiles their faces showed scowls.
Then - after a really good hit, or an ace, or something else exciting in volleyball language, you saw a smile again. They'd bounce back and in some photos I can see some really big smiles and you could hear them laughing. It was those moments they played the best - when they were playing the game to have fun.
It has been proven that even if you are in a bad mood, faking a smile can help improve your mood and most times you end up smiling for real. Something this simple can do so much!! So next time you are upset, smile! Don't forget your passions in life, and play this game of life to have fun.
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