Rugby - The Great Game of Life

I was chatting with a patient the other day; he had had an opportunity come his way that possibly could change the his life quite considerably and he didn't know what to do. I suggested that he should treat the opportunity like a rugby ball - sometimes life throws things at you unexpectedly. If you catch it, run with it as far and as fast as you can and you might just score a try. It you don't catch it, then at least you were in position, and ready. What you wouldn't do is just stand there and let the ball fall at your feet.

I can't take the credit for this 'life philosophy' - that has to be handed to my late grandfather, a great sportsman, who likened life to rugby. I guess when you look at it, it isn't a bad analogy really. Life, like rugby, sometimes involves teamwork - the necessity to pull together and work as a unit with a common goal - but it also requires each and every individual member of that team to pull his own weight. Just like rugby, you need to train hard and practice, working through likely scenarios and occurrences so to have the best eventual outcome. And again, despite all the hours of practice, life, like rugby sometimes just doesn't go according to plan - just when you've got the ball, tucked firmly under your arm and you're running like the wind, Boom! - you'll get tackled. Your feet are knocked away from underneath you, leaving you winded and sprawling on the ground, gasping for air, and not quite sure where the move came from! However, after a couple of deep breaths you need to pick yourself up, dust yourself down and carry on with the game - you'll never score that try lying in a heap on the floor, or sitting it out nursing your knocks and bruises.

Whilst simplistic, I find this analogy quite useful, particularly when I'm in a quandary and dithering over making a decision - I wonder if it's one of life's rugby balls and maybe I should just run with it and see how far I get. Or, when I've suffered one of life's tackles I try to drag myself back up and carry on the game, even if I am still smarting from the blow.

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