A few months ago, I had the privilege of interviewing Barry Switzer. I interviewed the Hall of Fame coach for research and guidance on a book I’m working on. (The book will be No. 6 in the Sports for the Soul series.)
Our interview covered numerous topics that will be featured in my upcoming book, such as how to build self-confidence, how to turn things around when adversity strikes, and how to attack each day with a fun, joyful attitude. As we talked about these important subjects, we also talked about the single biggest topic on everyone’s mind at the moment: the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Barry Switzer’s success on the football field is well known. He is the winner of three national championships at the college level and a Super Bowl at the pro level. He is fourth all-time among major college football coaches with a .837 winning percentage. His winning percentage with the Dallas Cowboys is the best in franchise history. During his 16 seasons at Oklahoma, his teams won 12 Big Eight championships and finished the season ranked in the top five 10 times.
What a lot of people may not know is how incredible his life story is off the field and the extreme adversity he had to overcome to be successful.
Switzer grew up poor in an Arkansas shack with no electricity or plumbing. His father was a bootlegger who spent time in prison and was murdered by a girlfriend. His mother struggled with depression and committed suicide when Switzer was home visiting from college.
In other words, from the time he was born Switzer had to deal with extreme levels of adversity and uncertainty. Yet, he found a way to overcome those hardships and succeed at the highest level of his chosen profession.
With this in mind and considering all the uncertainty surrounding our world at the moment, I had to ask Switzer exactly how he deals with it. What is his self-talk like when facing adversity, when facing a loss, when facing the uncertainty of something like COVID-19?
“You play it out,” Switzer said. “You play the hand you’re dealt. You can’t control the hand you’re dealt, but you play it out and you don’t look back.”
Since our conversation, that simple advice has continued to run through my head.
The pandemic is causing fear and uncertainty in every area of our lives. How do you deal with it all?
You play it out. You attack and adapt.
You can’t control the hand you’re dealt, but you play it out and you don’t look back.
That’s the only way any of us can productively move forward right now.
Nobody knows what the future will look like and you can’t change the past.
All you can do is move forward with hope and confidence while doing the best you can right here and right now. Each day is a gift and you must make the most of it no matter what type of uncertainty surrounds you.
Barry Switzer’s words have been a constant reminder to me during these times.
“Play it out,” I tell myself. “Keep moving forward and don’t look back.”
I firmly believe that by simply playing it out and moving forward with a positive attitude, things do tend to work out. It may not happen as quickly as we want it to or exactly the way we want it to, but things will get better.
Play it out.
Play it out as best you can and see what happens.
Keep moving forward and don’t look back.
This is the key to dealing with uncertain times and overcoming adversity. Now more than ever, we’ve got to remember that.
(For much more on how to battle fear and uncertainty, please see my book, Victory Favors the Fearless: How to Overcome the 7 Fears That Hold You Back.)
