The inspiration of March Madness
Fred Cavaiani
March Madness is upon us. Youthful enthusiasm and energy pours out of many basketball courts throughout our nation and through television. Colleges rally around their teams. Excitement on college campuses becomes intense. Publicity about various colleges is high during March Madness because so many of us pay attention to the games. College basketball is good for the nation. It inspires us with a pure love for the sport of basketball once again.
The conditioning it takes to be a college basketball player results from discipline and enthusiastic commitment. Good players remain good players when they stay disciplined by practicing consistently and working out regularly. It is a gift to the team and to one’s self.
A good March Madness basketball game inspires spectators to better their own lives. The commitment of ten or 12 players to a common goal and to an alma mater college is profoundly inspiring. The road to qualify to enter March Madness takes determined effort and focus.
March Madness can become a time to question ourselves about what are the most fundamental values in our life? I have a friend who has just lost seventy pounds because he is determined to exercise daily. This daily exercise has become a fundamental value in his life. Because of his persistent determination he continues to lose weight. He is like the basketball players in March Madness: dedicated, persistent and committed.
Do you deepen your fundamental values in life by concrete daily actions? People who do this experience a sense of freedom and peace. The daily actions of exercise and meditative silence help us look deeper at what is most important in life. The absence of quiet time and exercise can facilitate blockades to deepening our emotional, spiritual and physical lives. When we stop doing the fundamentals we prohibit ourselves from ever experiencing any “March Madness” in our lives. This term “March Madness” which comes around every year symbolizing the NCAA tournament for college basketball represents a time when the nation pauses, reflects and watches the best teams in the nation compete against one another. I remember years ago watching March Madness in Chicago with my son, my brother and his two sons. It was a wonderful experience. But the excitement really centered around the dedication and commitment of these young college players. Many of them then went on to play pro-basketball.
To experience a total commitment and dedication to a goal is an energizing experience. Each of us should discover the best goal for our own personal life. What brings meaning into your life? What brings a sense of peace. What are the most important spiritual and emotional values in your life? What are the values that help you to keep going forward? Symbolically I think ‘March Madness” can represent something we are all searching for: the ability to obtain a goal that is both energizing and inspiring.
Many years ago when my son played high school football his team finally made the State Playoffs. The enthusiasm and joy of this team was very inspiring. They lost the their first game but they had attained the honor of being in the playoffs. This was a team who improved each year in the four years he played and they finally made it.
The determination to pursue a goal is something that is important for all of us. That goal can be achieved by each of us if we do the fundamentals. The problem for most of us is the fear of doing the fundamentals. The truth is that we are more afraid of reaching our goals, both emotional and spiritual because if we do two things will happen: 1) we will enter into a whole new way of living which give us a new sense of emotional and spiritual depth. 2) we will realize that we need to keep practicing the fundamentals in our life and that means we will look at life in a much different way.Find your own “March Madness”. It will bring a joy and peace that you have never realized you could experience.
I have a close friend, Fr. Bernie Owns S.J. who has just written a book called “More Than You Can Ever Imagine: On Our Becoming Divine.” He captured the spirit of the meaning of “March Madness” as it pertains to living life to the fullest.
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Fred Cavaiani is a licensed marriage counselor and psychologist with a private practice in Troy. He is the founder of Marriage Growth Center, a consultant for the Detroit Medical Center, and conducts numerous programs for groups throughout Southeast Michigan. His column in the Legal News runs every other Tuesday. He can be reached at 248-362-3340. His e-mail address is: Fredcavi@yahoo.com and his website is fredthecounselor.com.
