My Dad used to take us bowling at Pioneer Lanes in Independence, OR. Permanently closed today, there was nothing special about the bowling alley other than it served as a place of entertainment in a relatively small town without much else to do.
While the lanes were slightly uneven and the walls seemed to sweat even on cold days, the place had self-esteem. Home to a number of bowling leagues, the trophies for each league and the names of the MVP were on the wall as you entered.
One day, not too long after I learned to read, I noticed that my Dad's name was on the wall with the number "300" next to it. I asked my Dad what it meant and he simply said, "Oh if you bowl a bunch of strikes you get your name on the wall."
After that I noticed for the first time that instead of taking bowling balls off of the wall like we did, my Dad brought his in its own bag. Instead of renting shoes, his came in their own carrying case. It turns out my Dad was a great bowler and would consistently score between 200-300 points a game. People knew his name at this place and would always tell him they miss him and hoped he came back to league soon.
One day I asked my Dad, "Why don't you bowl anymore? I mean, besides with us." He finally revealed his secret bowling background. "I used to travel all over for bowling, even got paid to do it. We had a ton of fun, but I gave that up years ago."
"Why?"
He looked at the bowling ball in his hands for awhile, before shrugging and saying, "Guess I was aiming life in a different direction."
I think about that experience often. While being a professional in any sport is a grind that requires sacrifice, talent, and luck, I also wonder if the direction my dad was aiming in was simply too low.
The longer I live, the more people I come across that are suffering from the same outlook. Oftentimes, we don't aspire high enough for ourselves. Be it a fear of failure, an unwillingness to risk, or a lack of self-esteem, we settle for good enough.
We've heard that if we "aim for the stars" we can miss and still land on the moon. What if most of us are just aiming for the moon? Or even worse, just resigned to look at it through a telescope?
If you find yourself feeling resigned to live the the life you're living or as if you're missing out on a brighter future, it's not too late to aim higher. I believe we were all created with the equal ability to become unequal and our aspirations should match that.
At 60 years old, my Dad may feel his bowling career is behind him. But rest assured, if Pioneer Lanes was still around, people would still have to aim their eyes up to see his name on the wall.
Fact
A 50-year-old startup founder is 2.2 times more likely to found a successful startup as a 30-year-old.
Action
Tell someone that needs to hear it to "aim higher" the next time you see them.
Question
Where in life have you aimed too low?
Quote
"Who do you think you are? I AM!" - Pete Weber; 37x Professional Bowling Association Champion
Comments