Where is my life manual?!?! Does anyone actually have a grasp on how this living thing works?
Well, one sunshiny day while purging old papers in one of my many attempts to go "paperless" (I am not there yet at all), I ran across my FAMU Cheerleader Handbook. I nostalgically begin to take a read...
I find it interesting that I still have it after so many moves; but it was there in my special purple box that always goes with me, no matter how quick the move is. As I thumbed through, I was so intrigued to find the handbook speaking to me like a life constitution. Handbooks traditionally include things like operating procedures, behavior, attendance, and performance standards -- this Cheerleader Handbook was no different.
This Handbook was so SERIOUS with bold headings like: Mission, Purpose, General Guidelines, Attendance Guidelines, Behavior Guidelines and so on. This book was so serious because the University wouldn't just leave it to chance that cheerleaders would show up and do their job. Standards and a checks and balances system were put into place to ensure that the mission and purpose of the squad, and more importantly the University as a whole, were performed properly.
The ATTENDANCE section had more than six separate regulations that basically said, “Don't be late, EVER” and “Any missed practice or performance will be met with severe consequences.” A “no-show” on the cheerleading squad was no different than a job -- no call, no show, YOU GO.
Yep, line after line of ways to be reprimanded.
I laughed and thought, here's your darn LIFE Handbook...Maybe, Mika, if you take your life and put it into the handbook model with a real, mission, purpose, and dare I say, consequences, you will begin to execute your goals. Why not apply the same discipline and fortitude to create your very own manual for life? I had plenty of un-used journals around, so it seemed like a great time to put them to use.
My journal read like a handbook, with my mission and purpose clearly in front of me. I began to feel more prepared each day to nail it. But, I politely left off the attendance chapter and the section on consequences for not showing up. This is where it gets hard. I. HAD. TO. SHOW. UP.
Why so serious about this attendance thing anyway?
Because lives are on the line (cheerleading is 2nd in catastrophic injuries behind American football).
[http://ussa.edu/news/cheerleading-ranks-first-in-catastrophic-sport-injuries]
When individuals miss practice, that is time away from nailing the routine, and producing the best, most unified and precisely injury free performance. If a squad member didn't show up to practice, routines would be made without that member and she would enjoy the game from the stands, seated next to the coach. It was literally a case of “No Risk, No Reward.” If you did not risk life and limb at each practice for the sake of the spirit, no way do you get the reward of cheering with your squad during the game.
My Life: If I didn't show up to the time I set aside to work on tasks that lead towards my goal, my life would continue to be in danger of un-fulfillment and leading towards catastrophic death by depression. Or, I could show up to each meeting with myself, practice each step and NAIL my goals; leaving me confidently and happily dancing on the field in stead of admiring others in the game from the stands.
Sometimes, I just can't get to it...
If, for whatever poor excuse of a reason I could come up with that I did not reach certain accomplishments, my trusty old cheer handbook and working Mika's Life Handbook would be there as my judge. Any missed target now required a full explanation.
LIKE: Did I create a workable routine that included at least 45 minutes per day of active work on a particular goal? [If you haven’t read Outliers, check it out here: [http://cs.ecust.edu.cn/snwei/studypc/jsjdl/data/OutliersTheStoryOfSuccess.pdf]
--If routine was created did I miss more than one day. Unfortunately, I begin to see that my so-called failures were just hopeful, lackluster, ineffective attempts that I just didn't show up for. Heck, there was no coach to report to, so I guess I didn't have to do it. The reality was, severe Self-Discipline had to set in.
Today, I have a routine that reflects what's important to MIKA and helps me move towards my mission and purpose in this life. Side note: (your life is not what others want for you, it is what you and your higher power have planned. So quit envying others and go for your best YOU)
I find it quite hilarious when I hear someone share excuses and say something like “Things just aren't working out for me.” Now, instead of offering condolences for their loss or failure, I ask “Did you do what it takes to make ‘IT’ happen?” Did you really put in the time, REALLY put in the time? Do you have a routine and stick to it? Further sharing that having experienced serial failure, reflecting on my things that "didn't work out", I clearly see where I didn't show up enough to make them work out.
In cheerleading, our goal each week is to keep spirits flowing and have winning energies around to encourage our team to VICTORY.
(1868: Jack “Johnny” Campbell, takes the credit as the very first of these “yell leaders” to pick up a megaphone, jump onto the sports field, and lead the crowd with the already popular university organized cheer: “Rah, Rah, Rah! Ski-U-Mah! Hoo-Rah! Hoo-Rah! Varsity! Varsity! Minn-e-so-tah!” With much credit attributed to Johnny Campbell and his “yell leaders” abilities to motivate the crowd & their American football team, Minnesota won the game 17-6 and cheerleading was born.)
Learn more cheerleader history here: [http://cheerunion.org/Content.aspx/History]
In order to do that, cheerleading has gone from chanting: "sis, boom bah", to tuck and rolls, basket tosses, and one hand holding cupies...stunts, routines and moves that are both energizing and death-defying. One missed step ruins a routine. One missed basket catch can paralyze a cheerleader.
So, a cheerleader willingly signs on to be a Leader of Cheer, knowing the risk, and decides it is well worth it to show up to practice and be a contributing member at the game.
So what happens when we don't move towards purpose by executing a small goal?
Well, when we miss days working towards our goals, we become paralyzed like a cheerleader missed in a basket toss. One missed toss, breaks her neck. One missed day from your goals, breaks your spirit. That broken spirit feeds the nasty little voice in your head that says you couldn't do it anyway.
Self-Paralyzation will set in, with it, each day becomes harder and harder to get to work towards your goal.
It becomes easier and easier to find distractions -- these distractions become “more important” to do than your goals. It seems so hard to do it, to make time for "IT".
It was hard as a cheerleader to sacrifice six out of seven days a week, to practice, travel, and cheer. But, real cheer-Leaders are tenacious. Real Leaders that cheer always do what it takes to win and achieve goals. "IT" takes dedication and discipline. "IT" takes knowing it won't be easy and then doing "IT" anyway. It takes saying “no” to happy hour and maybe even ‘Scandal’.
It takes hard ass work -- so quit being a buster and do what you gotta do (that was for me not you, because I am probably the only person left in the world who needs discipline).
LOOK, the next time something "doesn't work out". Ask yourself did you show up and work it? Did you work it to get that team handbook gpa that keeps you in the game and out of the stands
It is so easy to not show up when you are on campus and your friends are hanging on the set; and you have to get to a study group and to your lifeguard job at the school pool and prepare for fall pageants.
But oh man, as a cheerleader, you wouldn't change it for the world.
I think everyone should...
1. TAKE TIME TO MAKE YOUR VERY OWN HANDBOOK
2. CREATE A ROUTINE AND STICK TO IT
3. CREATE SOME CONSEQUENCES FOR NOT DOING IT
... better yet....
HIRE A COACH- here's a couple links to some miraculous coaches. If you are ready to live according to your own Handbook, spend your tax money on something that will change your life.
I took the PEP with Chloe-Taylor Brown, A Lifestyle Enhancement Coach, so check her out.
[http://www.chloetaylorbrown.com/]
Alexis Lior is a Success Coach and Author of “F.R.E.E.: Finally Released to Experience Expansion.”
[http://www.alexislior.com/]
I have been Googling Tiphani Montgomery’s GUGH coaching. That is next for me.
[http://tiphanimontgomery.com/]
Here's a little chant to motivate ya':
Clap and chant the words below 3 times through and then again.
Come on let's Do it, Do it, come on, let's SOAR.
Come on let's Do it, Do it, You know you want more.
"I trade sweat for strength. I trade doubt for belief. I trade cheerleading for nothing!" Author Kate, Midland, Ontario, CANADA
It
ain't my fault, as Mystical would say. He was one of the mega rap stars in my
day. That is the attitude you must have when a player hater tells you that you
only made the cheer leading team because of who you know. They will begin to
berate you about being a part of handpicking, a terrible cheerleader tradition
if 
