I have been a black sheep for my whole life. Never quite fitting in.
Shy, awkward, odd.
I love my family, but I’m the odd one out. The same with my friend group growing up. It’s been a story of people trying to include me, and me, delighted to be included.
It’s embarrassing to admit, but painfully true.
When I started coaching, I had to learn the art of social connection. It wasn’t natural for me, but I learned. It might be the skill that I now value most.
I have also grown to like my oddness, one of the great upsides of getting older.
But there was one part being a black sheep that I couldn’t overcome through practice or adaptation..
Having a place I belonged.
That one has to be found.
At Bua, I have that place. No matter what people think of me there (and there is a range of opinions), one thing I can say is that I truly belong there.
The people at Bua make me want to cry.
They value effort.
They resist cynicism.
They want to see you win.
They love pain. Whether they admit it or not, they do. They show up for some the worst imaginable awfulness, and then show up to do it all again tomorrow.
They are coachable.
They are approachable.
And they go for it.
The “go for it” is the other thing I can say I like about myself. If nothing else, I am going for it.
To be surrounded by others who are also going for it, it feels like I’m among the best of people. Strength in numbers. We can keep swinging hard at life because we are not alone.
Balls, strikes and home runs. All of it.
Bring it on. Let’s fucking go.
They are my people.
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