When I started this blog I made a promise to myself to write every single day for YOU. Some days are easier than others, due to many reasons. There are times where I know exactly what I want to talk about and there are also times when I have no idea what I want to write. And then, there are days like today when I know exactly what I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT.
And I won’t.
What I will say though is that football can teach us a lot if we’re willing to be open minded. Football can teach us a lot more if we’re willing to listen. Football can teach an infinity if we’re willing to be empathetic.
Being empathetic is just about the most important thing people can be, and there’s a massive lack of empathy in the world. And I’m not here for social commentary, it’s just a fact because there can’t ever be an OK amount of empathy. We can always be more empathetic.
One of the ways that empathy can be taught via football is through injuries and more so through career threatening injuries. When these happen, it is most people’s reaction to think about how it affects THEM, their team, their dreams of winning X trophy, etc. And I know I’ve written about this before and I mention it on my podcast often, but if that is the FIRST thing we think about, we definitely need to learn to be more empathetic.
I’m not claiming to be a super empath and that you have to be like me. I wasn’t always actively trying to put myself in a player’s shoes. I instantly thought of Arsenal or The Netherlands campaign. No X player? well that sucks for me. Me, me, me, me, me. Us, us, us, us. But I started thinking about THEM when I started opening my mind and my heart thanks to women’s football.
The outstanding Suzy Wrack tweeted: “Feel very deflated. Not for Arsenal, not for England, for a person.”
That’s exactly what I mean. If we aren’t thinking about THEM, we are thinking of US and that just doesn’t make sense when you think about it.
But all things considered, our attitudes can shift and we can learn to turn that dial from thinking about “us” to thinking about “them” with practice and with an open heart. The good news is that we can always change and be kinder and more open. We can do whatever it takes to expand, to grow and to express gratitude.
Life has a funny and sometimes unfair way of teaching us lessons and the only way to learn is to truly listen. The only true way to grow is to listen. The only way to love is to truly listen.
Listen to Leah and listen to yourself
d ❤
Listen to THAT ARSENAL WOMEN PODCAST on:
A very subjective look into AWFC 
Leave a comment