Yes, we have turned the page of the calendar to the month of March.
The sight of the third month of the year brings many positive reactions. First is the love of our incredible Roaring River State Park and Trout Day on March 1. Next is the thought that we have escaped the winter weather belonging to December, January, and February; meaning Spring is just around the corner.
And, it also means one of my favorite sporting events, the NCAA basketball tournaments, aka March Madness, are headed our way.
For those who know me well, I am fascinated by March Madness. Even though it has changed with the times over the past 40-plus years, it remains an incredible event to watch for the respective men’s and women’s tournaments.
Watching the 1992 and 2001 SMS Lady Bears teams march into the Final Four are sights and sounds I will never forget. I also treasure the memories of the great Bears team led by the legendary Charlie Spoonhour as they defeated Clemson in the 1987 tournament, which was the start of six straight tournament entrances for the Bears.
The Bears and Lady Bears previous success in March Madness symbolize one of the great meanings of the event. The underdog, who few are giving a chance, has the opportunity to show everyone that they belong and can excel in this big and vast competition.
What are some everyday life lessons that we can take from the Bears, Lady Bears and so many other fascinating small schools who caught the nation’s attention during previous March Madness competitions?
There are many times and many days when it’s easy to feel like the underdog. We all face challenges in so many facets of our lives, both personally and professionally, each and every day.
Whatever your challenge may be — whether you desire to make changes in your career, finances, personal life, or school — the steps and lessons from the various teams, who overachieved in March, can be used to our benefit.
The Bears, like many of the other underdogs who have excelled in the tournament, had a vision and belief in what they could achieve. They didn’t listen to the voices who told them their mission wasn’t realistic. They forged on, even when their goal wasn’t even remotely visible.
Secondly, they had a plan for what they wanted to achieve. They showed up, many times when no one was watching or even awake, and put in the work to perfect their skill set.
And finally, they used the resources and mentors available to them to navigate the tricky and challenging waters that were in the way of their desired destination, and to receive needed encouragement when things weren’t going well.
In summary, they got up each and every day and made progress.
I hope you have a wonderful spring, and if you like NCAA basketball, I wish you a bracket full of fun upsets, which you had the foresight to predict. The sights of teams such as Fairleigh Dickinson, Furman, Princeton, and so many others pulling first round tournament upsets never gets old.
Happy spring.
Jon Horner is a local community bank president, published author, and motivational speaker. He can be reached at jonhorner77@gmail.com.
