This week's Pep Talk: "Our Positive Energy"

First, I want to apologize, it’s just the way my brain processes stuff. Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

It’s a Wednesday evening in the Mile High City. Nuggets and Thunder from OKC in game five of their first-round NBA playoff series. It’s a big game and a buddy is down for a beer and talk turns to discussion earlier in the day on the sports talk show, “Drive Time with Mac and Doog”, I co-host with Jimmy Doogan: “Why is it so damned tough – in fact it’s never happened – for professional basketball teams to rally from a 3-0 deficit to win a series when it’s happened in baseball and hockey – two other sports with similar seven-game series’ opportunities?”

Two responses from our great callers really stood out: a baseball pitcher or hockey goalie can dominate a final game while, in basketball, it’s more team-oriented. One guy, like Michael Jordan’s 63-point effort in 1993, can score a ton of points but, considering a winning score is usually around 100, many others must contribute to succeed.

I also believe – as do others – that home-court advantage is also a very powerful and dominate factor in winning the finale. A great example came in the first half’s final seconds of Denver and Oklahoma City: The Thunder had a chance, with a score, to take a lead into halftime. The Nuggets dug in and were playing solid team defense, the seconds vanished from the clock and the crowd rose to its feet to cheer on the hometown boys. This was a big moment and the crowd – considered one of the NBA’S best – was encouraging the home team.

Encouragement, defined as, “to give hope and confidence to”, is a good thing to possess always, but real nice to possess when it’s time to shine – home, work or elsewhere. You know, shine in a way that honors us, nurtures those dependent upon us and adds value to the communities we serve?

When we’re being encouraged to accomplish that, whether on the basketball floor, school, home, work or community, it just makes sense to try like heck to make it happen. I’m just a simple dude from Missouri but it makes sense, right?

The hometown crowd and its energy poured toward recipients – in this case basketball players – can be a very powerful gravitational force. The question becomes, is the energy healthy and productive? Which takes me to parents. We’re the hometown crowd and our energy will greatly impact the future success of our most valuable players – our kids.

My wish is that OUR positive energy will inspire children, ours and others, to succeed like the Thunder’ home-town crowd was encouraging – hope and confidence – its beloved to defeat a gutty Nuggets’ team. Our positive energy can contribute to amazing things being accomplished. While there are no guarantees, I would offer, rarely has anything worthwhile been achieved without it.