Today, I want to acknowledge an extremely special bunch of guys. I had the privilege of being part of an amazing team last Sunday as the Under 16s, Ben’s footie team WON their grand finale. There was an incredible energy in the air unlike any other game on Sunday and with emotions running at an all-time high, from both parents and kids, this bunch of boys kept their egos in their pockets, took the focus off themselves and showed the real culture they have developed as a group. As I watched them play, it was obvious every player had his own personal and private drive that was fuelling the passion to bring home the trophy, yet before they even went on to the field, they kneeled as a group, bowed their heads and took a moment for their missing ‘brother’ Benny.
When all was said and done and the score board showed 28-6 and everyone cheered and yelled and jumped up and down, the FIRST thing this group of boys did was to again honour their missing player! It was one of the most incredibly moving displays I have ever experienced, and I am still in awe of the compassion and loyalty they showed.
These boys proved that day, what happens when the WHY is crystal clear and how powerful it is when the desire and drive runs so much deeper than just achieving the end result. “Sometimes it is our journey that teaches us a lot about our destination” – Drake.
Jim Lovell said, “There are people who make things happen, people who watch things happen and people who wonder what happened?” We all fall into one of these groups and vacillate between them from time to time.
It has never been a secret how passionate I am that the future lies with how we empower our younger generations to become free-thinking adults that ‘make things happen’. When our WHY is strong and clear, and in our face every single day, obstacles do not seem as challenging to overcome. Yes, it is easy to become disheartened along the journey, things don’t always happen the way we expect or in our preferred time frames and it is easy to question ourselves but when we remember our WHY, the clarity returns even stronger. I guess this makes who we associate with and what we feed our minds even more important than ever.
People will see and do things based on ‘who they are’ not so necessarily what it is.
Next Saturday night an event appropriately named LOL4Ben is being held. Every part of this evening has been deliberately created and all being overseen by a powerful spirit. For some, it will be something nice they read about or ‘watch happen’. For others it will also be a combined step towards change in the world. It is about paying respect and honouring a beautiful young man who incomprehensibly finished his mission leaving the foundation for those who choose, to continue his legacy in making a difference!
Ben Shaw is someone that ‘makes things happen’. He continually put others first and gave with an abundant attitude. Ben showed what it meant to ‘make change in the world’. Like ‘The Slight Edge’ by Jeff Olsen, he did little things all the time that made this difference. He did this for years and continues to do it today. People in the room next Saturday are some of those keeping Ben’s legacy alive and depending on our perspective I have no doubt it will be one step in all of us ‘changing the world’.
Much Love Dalya xx💙