My wife & I were watching the Downton Abbey final episode or movie the other night. In one scene Mr. Mosley, who was a valet for a family member, then fills in as a footman, then leaves the family to become a teacher and then a playwright. At one point in the show the King & Queen of England are scheduled to stop by Downton Abbey for a night’s stay during their travels. There are several other guests who have been invited to dine with the King & Queen. Amongst those who were invited were a big-time screen actor, a successful playwright & Thomas Barrow, a former household footman & underbutler, now working for the actor & playwright.
Mr. Mosley is so excited to hear the news, not just of the King & Queens visit, but more of the news that the playwright & actor will be joining them, that he returns to Downton Abbey to be a footman again. To keep things short and not recap the entire show, Mr. Mosley is so bent on showing face to the playwright and actor in hopes of being seen, & recognized for a small play he wrote, that he misses his cue for his time to serve the King & Queen. He is never in the right place at the right time to meet the King & Queen, the playwright or actor. My wife blurts out “He is never where he should be, he is always chasing the puck.” I knew she loved hockey as much as me! As soon as she said that I grabbed my phone, jotted down the quote, and said, “that’s my next blog post”. That is a sports analogy with life lessons written all over it.
All these memories came flooding back. I loved coaching ice hockey when my boys were younger. I really appreciated passing on my love for the game to younger girls & boys. I wanted it to be a lifelong passion for them. Not make it to the NHL. Just love the game. What was funny about coaching 6, 8, 10-year-olds is that the entire group of kids would chase the puck. Same thing happened in soccer. All the kids on both teams. Running around in a pack. If one fell, they all fell on top of each other. Like reverse dominoes. If the puck came loose, no one was there to take it, until they all got back to their feet and started chasing again. I see the same thing during my Tuesday and Friday skates periodically. One skater chasing another, until they are out of position. The puck is passed to the open position, shot on goal, score. “Play your position boys, stop chasing”, I call out. Play your position, the puck will show up I remind them. I promise you, the puck will show up!
We even see it in professional hockey. Frustrates Jen to the point she gets up and walks away. “They’re starting to chase the puck”. “They’re doing the ice capade thing again”. “This isn’t good, I need to leave.” Pass to the open spot, shot on goal, Score. Stop chasing the puck. Play your position. The puck will show up. I’ve been accused of chasing the puck myself in life. Mostly by myself. It took me a while to notice what I was doing. But when I realized it, I slowed down, reevaluated, planned, prepared and waited. And when I didn’t chase, the puck showed up where & when it should have.
People wonder how Wayne Gretzky & Alexander Ovechkin could score so many goals; THEY DON’T CHASE THE PUCK. Gretsky always said, “I go where the puck is going to be, not where it is.” I correlate that to intentions. If you put something out there into the universe, it will come back to you. When you are true to yourself, what is meant for you will find its way at the right time. Don’t chase it (God bless you, Jen!). Put it out there, plan for when it shows up, put pieces in place so you’re ready when it shows up. When it shows up, act on it. Similar to emergency planning.
Isn’t it amazing how so many things in life are connected?
STOP CHASING THE PUCK!