I feel, after completed the next section of Coming Back Stronger, by Drew Brees, that I have a stronger will and perspective to be the best I can be in life. In chapter sixteen, one of the longest chapters in Brees's memoir, Brees describes the special 2009 NFL season for the New Orleans Saints. Brees writes about how the team emphasized "finishing" before the start of the 2009 football season. He believed the team had come up short the last few years do to their failure to finish games and finish seasons. He describes how the team had a new, special attitude right from the start of the season.
Next, Brees describes his trip to Guantanamo Bay to visit a marines corps residing in the area. He describes how he gained a new chant and perspective he utilized during the camp that he carried over to the New Orleans Saints. The Saints started out strong with their new attitude as they felt they had something to prove. After they were already 4-0 and coming off a bye week, the Saints set their sights on the also unbeaten New York Giants. They knew the game was crucial for their success during the rest of the season. They won the game and also garnered attention from around the NFL with their record at 5-0. The next game, the Saints finally faced adversity against the Dolphins. However, they overcame the adversity and a 21 point deficit and won the game. Moreover, the Saints continued to win in a few games and eventually ran their record to 8-0, a franchise record. Later, when the Saints were 10-0, they had another season defining game verses an experienced New England Patriot's team. They were perhaps playing their best competition of the season, but the Saints still won the game in a convincing fashion.
The Saints continued to pile up more wins and ran their record to 13-0. However, they were not playing the best football of their season at this point. As a result, they lost to the Dallas Cowboys in a close game the following week. Brees believed the loss was a positive for his team because it forced the Saints to look more closely at their weaknesses and improve upon them. The Saints ended up losing their last two games, but they still finished with the number one seed in the NFC playoffs with a record of 13-3. Many critics around the league did not believe the Saints could win the Super Bowl due to their spotty play the last few weeks of the season. However, the leaders in the Saints organization, such as the coaches, kept the fire burning in the hearts of the New Orleans Saints heading into the playoffs. Brees states at the end of the chapter that he and his team was ready to send a message to the world when they played their first playoff game versus the Arizona Cardinals.
After I read the next section of Drew Brees's memoir, I feel excited to try a new mindset with sports. Brees stressed one game at a time throughout the 2009 NFL season. I believe in order to be most successful, you must have that mindset. You cannot think about the future and the event that may occur. I must have the mindset that I will play my best in the current time I am playing any game. I must keep my focus on one play at a time, one minute at a time in any game. I believe this mindset applies to all facets of life. I believe that you must realize that you may not get a second chance at everything in life. I believe that in my personal life, I must treat every moment as if it were my last. I must live in the moment, and live for others. I do not want to leave an opportunity unused. If I can keep my mindset in living the best I can be for my God and for others, I believe I can achieve a greater goal than if I lived for my plans in the future. You never know when your time on earth will end. As a result, I believe people must treat every situation enthusiastically and as a gift from God. In conclusion, I plan to follow Brees's mindset that I must live every moment as if it were my last to the best of my ability.
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