The ball is in your court

The red rubber ball is a metaphor of your life’s path to where you want to go with the hope that it bounces to eventual success. It’s your passion, your purpose, and your intention. It’s what gets you out of bed each morning. It’s your “life’s canvas.” In moments of purity and blamelessness –– such as on a playground –– you come face to face with your red rubber ball. Dreams begin when you derive great pleasure from the play and when you turn into a freer spirit. That’s when you imagine yourself as somebody bigger than you are.  

The red rubber ball was the big idea of Kevin Carroll’s plenary talk about “Rediscovering Play: Bringing Fun and Passion to Your Work — and Life” at the opening session of the recently concluded International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) World Conference in Chicago, as he shared his journey from being an abandoned child of two uncaring parents (though raised by loving grandparents) to becoming a language interpreter and translator, an athletic trainer, a creative catalyst for business, an accomplished author and a much sought-after inspirational speaker.

Carroll spent seven years with Nike as a creative change agent, where he challenged his audience to check their “want-to” or desire to achieve success every day, and to simply urge them to “just do it.” An ESPN.com article credited him with the rubber bracelet craze or the “baller,” which started at Nike and became a worldwide phenomenon with, of course, a lot of push from sportsman Lance Armstrong and musical artist Sheryl Crow. He deepened the company’s understanding of athletic performance, team dynamics and interpersonal connection, and in so many ways, helped Nike become one of the universal forces that it is today.

The mantras that led Carroll to where he is now are short of ground-breaking, but his unassailable storytelling talent using the rules of the red rubber ball turn them into engaging, precious nuggets of wisdom: Don’t be a Monday moaner (think TGIM: Thank God, it’s Monday); envelop yourself with things that replenish your energy stores — a workout, the cello or chocolate; surround yourself with positive people; take advantage of collective wisdom and energy — they are sustenance for your soul; be willing to do the lonely work — that’s the work of a champion; and spend many hours of disciplined practice needed to succeed at business and in life. He reminded about constantly seeking new learning opportunities and remaining open to new ideas and possibilities. His philosophy is encapsulated into seven simple imperatives that you can heed and possibly endorse.

1. Follow your red rubber ball. The desire to commit to it must come from deep within you. The drive should give you an irresistible feeling as if it’s bubbling up from your inner soul, and chasing your passion like no other.

2. Work with cheerers. People who have a genuine interest in you and appreciate your commitment to your red rubber ball. They are what you call the “encouragers,” and you need them, accepting the reality that sustaining your life’s work cannot be done alone. You must build relationships with people who push you to do your task and accomplish them well.

3. Flex your creative muscles. Or better yet work them out regularly. Pursuing your life’s work requires constant creativity because the road will not always be apparent and trouble-free. As such, creative answers will be needed to compensate during these challenging times so that you can continue to run after your red rubber ball.

4. Believe that hard work will repay you. Each day is an opportunity to live out your life’s work. So always prepare to excel and bask in the glory of excellence. In your life, there will be quiet moments as well as loud defining ones, which when handled well, can make you shine and thrust you to success. Deliver the hard work that will harvest gains and bring rewards for you.

5. Never accept the boundaries imposed upon you. Instead you must alter the course in pursuit of your red rubber ball when needed. Always speak your mind especially if you’re confident of your position. You need to demonstrate courage because it is a distinct leadership trait. And leaders can get others to buy-in to their red rubber ball because of their inspiration and storytelling prowess.

6. Prepare for plans that can go awry. In all your endeavors, things and events will sometimes open out in ways you could never have forecasted. But if you expect the unexpected and embrace it, you will still stay true to your red rubber ball.

7. Make the most of your waking hours. Each day has 86,400 seconds, and that’s 86,400 opportunities to chase, kick, catch and run after your red rubber ball. Play is serious business, and play is serious in business. You all have opportunities for purposeful play available in the workplace. Make sure you’re harnessing them, presenting them back to your people, and taking advantage of them yourself.

In his IABC speech, Carroll revealed that he is in his early 50s but quickly claimed he doesn’t look like a man pushing middle age. “I like to tell people I’ve got a little bit of that Benjamin Button gene in me,” he said with a quiet laugh. But Carroll’s youthful appearance is more than just a state of mind. It has become a career and a calling. It has become a mission to get others to rethink the value of lighthearted recreation. “Sport and play should never be marginalized. They should be celebrated and recognized for their value as related to problem solving, abstract thinking, creativity, innovation and imagination,” he emphasized.

Carroll has the great power to tell his story well and make people “play it forward” by initiating efforts to make individuals in his audience exchange balls. He calls it an “interactive and experiential” activity, which shares these wonderful rubber balls with others so everybody can see clearly and appreciate why “ball speak” should be a universal language. “No matter where you go in the world, people must constantly play regardless of their circumstances or situations,” he enthused.

The rubber ball, Carroll claimed, saved his life and added, “It can save other people’s lives as well. You just need to recognize what inspires you daily and how you are committed to it. Don’t talk about it, be about it.” Your physical health also plays a vital role as you run with your red rubber ball. “How you take care of yourself and how you make sure you have the requisite energy to chase your red rubber ball on a daily basis are critical,” he declared.

Discovering your own red rubber ball and chasing it to your heart’s content, Carroll argued, is the surest route to peace, prosperity, and happiness. Do some action planning; devote time to your hobby, breakfree from your laptops, i-Pads and cubicles to enjoy some real play. Do it now, the ball is in your court.

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E-mail bongosorio@yahoo.com or bong_osorio@abs-cbn.com for comments, questions or suggestions. Thank you for communicating.