Watching from afar

A friend of mine coaches soccer in Chicago. I mean IN CHICAGO. The campus and athletic facilities are literally carved out between buildings. If you’ve ever ridden “the L” to Wrigley Field, you’ve probably seen it for yourself.

A few years ago my friend was approached by a stranger after practice. The man lived in a nearby apartment had been watching the team daily for quite some time. He confessed that he watched through a telescope. He saw the good, the bad… everything.

The man was a member of a prominent soccer team in the Soviet Union years and years ago. Largely confined to his apartment, all he could do was watch through a telescope and remember his own glory days.

A strange thing happened over time, the elderly man was confronted with a team that wasn’t like any he ever played for. The team appeared to have a different motivation then winning alone.

He saw players and coaches laughing and hugging. He saw anger, but it wasn’t the same kind of fiery passion. He was confused. He watched more and more and became more and more confused. That’s what finally pushed him to visit a practice in person and learn more about a team that cared about each other.

The lesson is simple. We are being watched and scouted everyday. For some it might be a job opportunity or a promotion. Others it’s just a natural curiousity. The bottomline is this, you’ll be remembered for being an influence in a life, either good or bad. If you aren’t making an intentional decision, you probably aren’t making much impact.