I do not play sports. So when I found out that my Positive Psychology class was going to play kickball, I felt more than a little apprehensive. The last time I had played kickball, I was in 2nd grade. As I made my way to the outfield, memories of standing as far away as possible so I wouldn’t have to catch the ball came flooding back. My feelings were a rollercoaster of emotions — nervous when the players on the other team kicked the ball, relief when the ball did not come my way, excitement as I watched the rest of my teammates run and throw the ball as best as they could.
Then came my time to kick the ball. When I was in elementary school, I would stand at the end of the line, hoping that my team would get three outs before I had to go up to the plate. But now, everyone on the team had to kick, no matter how many outs there were. The ball seemed to roll slowly toward me. My feet wanted to move, but my brain told them to wait. Finally, I kicked the ball — straight toward someone and I got an out. Nevertheless, I was happy to have just kicked the ball. I told myself that was an accomplishment, and it was. All that mattered was that I tried. My mood was elevated. I had gotten an out, but I still kicked the ball and almost made it to first base. As I was running, a girl on my team cheered me on. That was a new experience for me. I was used to my schoolmates either saying nothing at all because I am not very athletic, or making a side comment about how bad I am at whatever the sport happened to be.
As the game went on, I felt myself becoming less worried as I tried to live in the moment. The whole purpose of the exercise was to have fun, so there was no use thinking about the past or worrying about the future. I became less preoccupied with how others viewed me, and how I thought of myself, and just tried my best.
The second time I kicked the ball, I made it to first base. This time I hadn’t tried to kick the ball as hard as I could, but rather followed a strategy my teammates before me had used. I just barely kicked the ball, causing the other team to have to run up to get it. At last my inability to kick the ball far was put to good use. I got out at second, but I didn’t mind. I was improving, and more importantly, enjoying the game. My last time at the plate, I had to kick using my non-dominant foot. I got out pretty easily, but I still received high-fives from two of my teammates. I had accidentally made a sacrifice, allowing my teammate on third to make it home.
The game ended with a cheer of “positivity!” Sure, it might have been a little cheesy, but being positive really did make a difference. There were outward signs of positivity, such as high-fives and clapping, but I also had to feel positive within myself. I could have allowed myself to feel anxious the whole time, worrying about having to play a game I have not played in years and have never enjoyed playing. Or I could challenge and encourage myself, let the situation be, and just have fun. I made the latter choice, and for that I am grateful. I can now look back on the experience of playing kickball and smile. I have learned many concepts from Positive Psychology, but one especially stands out to me: What you think about a situation will affect the outcome. So, if you think positively, a situation will turn out positively.
You are a wonderful human being capable of doing great things. You might feel scared, inept, or apprehensive, but you can do it. The more you remind yourself of this, the more you will achieve, and the happier you will be.
