One unexpected source of pleasure and good energy this summer has been watching the humorous and lighthearted exchanges between all the various groups of World Cup fans. Videos of the playful spirits of everyone, players and fans, have brought humor and good energy to public places in a big way.
Soccer was not a sport we played when I was growing up, but my kids did. I can appreciate watching a good match, and I am always amazed at that whole thing about bonking a ball with your head and all the ways of kicking a ball while not using the hands.
Since I played baseball and basketball most when I was growing up, those are still the sports I watch most. And these days, the way I see the game highlights on You Tube. Once in a while, I go to a game at the stadium.
Of course, in any sport there are questionable calls, and in soccer, the rules seem more fuzzy to me than the other sports. When two players are chasing a ball while running, and they collide, it is not always clear to me when one player commits a foul.
In sports, we have favorite teams we cheer for, but in championships it is always fascinating to see the incredible amount of energy an underdog can generate when they get father than anyone expected.
The thing to notice here is how much the energy of the fans can inspire players to greater performances because the waves of energy from one group to another changes the whole atmosphere. Who among us has not been amused by some of these events? Don't some of their antics tickle your imagination? Have you noticed a lightening of the mood in general as people banter about the World Cup? To me, it has been a bright spot in this summer.
I don't usually watch a lot of soccer, but now I have a new appreciation of it and may check on it more frequently.
As we notice the interplay of energy between groups of people, think about the ways we use that energy in our lives.
How do we feel when we cheer for other people? How we feel when other people cheer for us?
Who is cheering for who? Who are the cheerleaders in our lives? What do we really want to see happen? Cheering can give us an energy boost toward achieving our goals.
Who are you cheering for? Who is cheering for you?
