I’m sure those were your thoughts too on Saturday when the nippy scrumhalf, Herschel Jantjies, scored a last-minute try securing a thrilling 16-16 draw for the Boks against the All Blacks in Wellington… Just as the partisan New Zealand crowd prepared to celebrate, the game turned on its head when Jantjies won the hectic race for the ball over the line! Breath-taking!
“It’s not over till it’s over”, said Yogi Berra in 1973 during a game when his team was a long way behind but eventually rallied to win the title. This famous American baseball legend won 10 World Series championships in his career – more than any other player in MLB history. This is a strongly sourced quote – it’s about not giving up, not giving in, not until it’s really over. And when IS that…?
In its various spellings, you can find Berra’s phrase well over half a million times on Google. It pops up in the famous Lenny Kravitz song, it’s uttered by Sylvester Stallone in his 2006 Rocky movie and in “Love actually” Liam Neeson’s character urges his lovesick son to go after his crush with this same pep talk: “IT AIN’T OVER TILL IT’S OVER…”
But most of all we see sportsmen and women clinging to it, finding within those words a reason to keep running or punching or playing when the odds are stacked against them, because without an underdog story, without a fightback there would never be a reason to cheer…
It happened at the 2007 Chicago marathon – Adriana Pirtea took the lead over Berhane Adere around the 35 km mark and by 40 km she had opened the gap to 30 seconds. Towards the end of the race Pirtea began slapping fans’ hands and waving to the crowd, never looking back to see if her lead was secure. And then, with less than 50m to go, Pirtea was surpassed by a sprinting Berhane who picked up the victory by 3 seconds… We also saw that at the Wimbledon men’s final recently, when Novak Djokovic faced two match points at 7-8 in the fifth set, and yet ended up winning the first mesmerizing 12-all tie-break to decide the title.
We are in the last week of our 12-week Ultimate You Winter Challenge, and almost 90 participants are well on their way to a successful finish. I wish I could wave a magic wand and whisper into the ears of our trailing underdogs – YOU CAN STILL MAKE IT!!! Do not throw in the towel, pleeeeaaasse…? I wonder if they realise that even with a class total as few as 20 sessions, they can still conquer this… (From Monday the 29th to next Monday our weekly class schedule contains 28 workouts of which 19 are open to all members, no bookings needed…) It’s really not impossible to still make it. And It’s indeed never over until it’s over…
Okay, I know, life is always that thing that happens while we are making other plans. So, yes, I know, you entered the challenge, not knowing you would be hit by swine flu, or twist your ankle, or trip over the dog and break your arm, or run into personal troubles at home…And I know, sometimes it’s just so hard to manage our time, but maybe, just maybe then we should just learn to manage OURSELVES a little better…
No matter how stacked the deck looks and no matter how unlikely success may look at any given moment…Giving up is not the answer. I believe that sometimes life throws these curve balls at us, almost to see how we react. We’ve all been faced with situations in life that were challenging. We’ve all been through things that make us want to dig a hole, crawl in, and never come back out. Why is it then, that some people rise from the ashes, time and again, while others just seem to set themselves up for failure, time and again?
Psychologists believe some people have been conditioned to quit, to give up before it’s over. It might be their self-talk, or what they have heard from a young age. You’ll never win. You can’t do that. Some refuse to accept the limits placed on them by others, some just roll with it…and then, a few brave others, they simply live by different rules. They don’t give up. They know that each time they try, they learn something. And it’s always amazing to witness how a change in attitude can make a huge difference…
As long as we are still alive, we have the opportunity to do more and be more. You are where you are on your way to where you are supposed to be. If you keep your composure, keep working, keep believing, keep breathing, you still have a fighting chance.
In one of his best speeches ever, the American motivational speaker Les Brown says: “I remember I was playing a game with my 9-year old son John Leslie and I beat him 10 straight times in a game called Connect Four. And finally, I said: ‘John Les, it’s bedtime now, but first repeat after me – It’s not over until I win…’
John Leslie said, ‘No, you can’t stop playing now, dad.’
I said, ‘Why?’
He said, ‘It’s not over until I win.’ That was his attitude. And we played 11 more games and finally John Leslie won, got up, yawned and said, ’I’m ready to go to sleep now.’”
What if all of us took John Leslie’s attitude after we face a rejection, or a bad exam, or a miscarriage, or a divorce, or some serious weight gain, or a failed business idea…?
In her book “It ain’t over till it’s over: Reinventing your life and realizing your dreams” actress-author Marlo Thomas says: “Never face the facts; if you do, you’ll never get up in the morning. Better to create your own facts…” In this amazing book Thomas introduces us to 60 amazing women who have proved that it’s never too late to live out a dream – to get a degree, travel the world, find love, escape danger or launch a business.
I meet so many women, I work with so many women, I experience so many women – their smiles, tears and hopes. Sometimes I listen to them talk about the dreams they left behind; or the ones they tried to achieve that went nowhere; or the ones they never attempted. And often I hear the deep yearning in their voices as they talk about their search for a way to rekindle those dreams.
Do you feel stuck today? Then take a deep breath – that giant wall in your path is not a barrier, it’s just something to leap over. It’s never too late to rebuild yourself – physically and mentally.
Impossible is just something that hasn’t happened yet. It ain’t over till it’s over… till the fat lady sings… till the clock reads :00, or for our challenge members, till the clock reads Monday 5 August 19:00… and even then, it’s not over, for our Summer Challenge starts Monday 16 September, with a brand-new opportunity to be successful.
No matter what happens, it’s never over. It’s only over when you say it is. Until the final out, there’s always time. There’s always a way. There’s always a chance. Don’t ever quit. Don’t ever give up. Because you never know…
It ain’t over til it’s over, no matter HOW over it looks. Yogi knew.
And deep down, you do, too.
Yours in fitness
Mirna
082 779 0507