Today I am going to write a post about football. Only it’s not really about football, rather like Field of Dreams isn’t really about baseball.
As those of you who follow the ups and downs of the Premiership will know, on Sunday Manchester City won the title for the first time in 44 years. Not only that, they won in the dying moments of extra time, and in doing so snatched the trophy from under the noses of bitter rivals Manchester United.
If it had been a storyline in Roy of the Rovers you would be hard-pressed to believe it. In fact, I doubt that any City fan had dared dream of this happy ending. You just could not make it up.
I spent five years living with one of the most diehard, dedicated City fans you could ever meet. He has stuck with his team through thick and thin – and mostly thin. Not for nothing are City supporters called Bitter Blues. They put up with year upon year of hopes being raised and dashed and watching their rivals become more and more successful, rich and powerful.
And then, thanks to the investment of many millions of pounds, City were finally able to compete with United on a level playing field after years of trailing in their wake. But this isn’t really about the players: it’s about all the emotional investment that the supporters have put in over the years.
That investment finally paid massive dividends in the most spectacular and exciting way last Sunday. I’m sure many of those supporters would say it was better than winning the Lottery. But they also know that, having now experienced the ultimate triumph, it will probably never quite feel this good again.
Which brings me to a wider point about how we respond when really good things happen to us – especially things we’ve hoped for and dreamed of for many years, things we thought might never happen.
Once the euphoria dies down, where does that leave us? Possibly with mixed feelings, some of which might be uncomfortable. A voice in your head might say “This is too good to be true” or “It’ll never happen again”. How do you deal with success when you have become accustomed to what you perceive as failure?
If you have been stuck in struggle for a long time, your experience of joy will have been limited. People often feel more comfortable suffering, because it’s what they know. When there are dramas, pain and challenges to overcome they are able to dig deep, access their inner resources, and keep on going regardless.
Will you, like City fans, have to adjust to a new worldview, one in which success comes easily and good things happen? Could it be that you don’t have to wait 44 years for one blinding moment of complete triumph, and that absolute joy is always available to you?
I congratulate City and all their supporters, especially those who might be about to experience an identity crisis: it’s a big leap from Bitter Blues to Champions. And sometimes it takes a leap of faith to trust that the good times can keep on rolling, even when you’ve waited decades for them to begin.
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