Example of Unleashing Your Emotions

One of the keys to motivating yourself is understanding your emotions.  Our emotions, to a large extent, drive our behavior.  The desire for love, recognition, achievement and meaning can be powerful motivators.  The following true story demonstrates, knowing how to harness your emotional energy is the key to achieving a desire result. 

  The legendary Alabama football coach, Bear Bryant had a young man on the fourth string of his team named Henry Peterson. He had never gotten to play, and just before the Alabama-Auburn game, Bryant got a call from Henry saying his dad had died and he needed to go home.  On Friday, Coach Bryant got another call from Henry and he said, “Coach, I got thinking about it and I can’t let the team down.  I want to be there on Saturday.”  Sure enough, on Saturday afternoon, Henry was ready to play. He walked up to Coach Bryant and said, “Coach, I want you to start me today!”  Bear said, “Henry, this is the Alabama-Auburn game.  I can’t start you – you’ve never played!”  But Henry persisted, and Bryant, never knowing why, heard himself say, “Okay, Henry, I’ll put you in on the first play.

Henry Peterson ran for four touchdowns in the first half.  He nearly beat Auburn by himself.  The coach walked over to him at half-time and said, “Son, I don’t know whether to kiss you or kill you. You’ve been sitting on my bench for four years, why didn’t you tell me you could play like this?” 

Henry looked up at him and said, “Coach did you ever see me walking arm and arm around campus with my dad?”  Coach Bryant said, “Yes, I think I have seen you with him a few times.”  “Well, Coach,” said Henry, “my dad was blind.  Today was the first time he ever got to watch me play football.”

   You see Henry discovered his emotional energy by harnessing it, which produced amazing results.   Have you discovered yours?