There have been some iconic father-son moments in sports history. Tiger Woods hugging his son Charlie after winning the Masters. Drew Brees lifting up his son Baylen after winning the Super Bowl. Michael Phelps running to kiss his son Boomer after making Olympic history. Tom Brady screaming his son’s name as he ran off the field after clinching his tenth trip to the Super Bowl. There are mother-daughter moments, too. Serena Williams’s daughter, Olympia, taking pictures of her mom from the stands at the US Open. Paula Radcliffe training for the New York City Marathon (which she won in 2007) while pregnant.
Why do these moments give us the chills? Because we know the feeling. It doesn’t matter what happened at work. It doesn’t matter what we’ve just done or been through. The first thing on our minds is our kids. We want to hold them. We want to tell them we love them. We want to share with them.
And here’s the other thing about those moments. Yeah, sometimes we wish we had gone pro. Yeah, it’d be nice to make millions. To be famous. To reach the pinnacle. But the real prize? These athletes all reach for one thing . . . and it’s not the trophy. They want what you already have.
Sure, pursue your dreams. Strive to be one of the best at what you do. Aspire to be great and successful and all that. But don’t ever forget that when or if you get there, you’re only gonna want what you already have. You can say hi to your son or daughter right now. You can tell them that you love them right now.
It’ll feel just as good as a trip to the Super Bowl—to you and to them.