02 January 2011

Cricket & Life: Leg Before Wicket, Use Your Skills and Conscience



I am sure some people have probably asked, why don’t you just stand in front of the wicket? Why even use the bat? Isn’t the object to just prevent the bowler from hitting your wicket, so just stand in front of the thing!

Well, in cricket, you can’t do that.  If you miss playing the ball, or don’t play the ball at all, and it hits your leg (on a determined path towards the wicket) you are out.  The object in cricket isn't just to protect the wicket, you need to produce runs.

In life we have been given skills, a specific set of talents that we can grow, develop and learn, like the bat in cricket.  If we don’t use our skills, and just stand still, we can be out of life.  We may get stuck in the same routine job, because we did not, or have not, utilized our skills.  We become unproductive and lost.  We need to use our skills.  We need to make sure we do work that puts runs on the board, and keeps us going.

We have also been given a conscience, or a gut feeling, a Jiminy Cricket if you will.  It too is our bat.  If we don’t use or listen to our gut, it stops talking back to us.  Now, I am not saying become impulsive, there is a big difference between impulses and your conscience. Your conscience will help you make decisions that make you happy and safe in the long and short term.  Impulses feel good, but for a very, very short time. Listen to your gut, even if it is contrary to your predetermined will, and the will of others around you.  Your conscience is your best friend, it will never lead you astray, and it may even lead you down life’s paths that you have never considered.