There is one story that I recall frequently from my playing career; where I go back to time and time again to constantly remind myself of how blessed and fortunate I am to be where I am in life. And, to never take that for granted. It was through the game of baseball that I met a fan, a friend, and a family who changed my life for the better; without ever realizing it.

The game of baseball will continuously test you inside the Chalk lines. But, the tests off the field are the ones that nobody prepares you for. And, as many have heard me reference the saying, “You have to step up; or you get stepped on”. The game can take you away into a world of alphas whom utilize bats, balls, and gloves, to clash through a choreographed battle of skill, intellect, and heart. As a player, one becomes so engulfed in the sport that it often blinds one from the realities of the world around us. For better; or for worse. In my case, it was my awakening to the world and realities around me for the better.

I was in Veracruz, Mexico at the time of the story back in early 2013. It was my very first time outside of the U.S. playing ball; and it was my very first taste of Mexican Professional Baseball. I was invited into the team through a family friend who had experience in the league; and knew my game from our Sunday Recreational Leagues back home. After graduating from UCI and not being drafted, I felt like I had more to prove. It was my chance to show everyone I can ball with the best. Without hesitation, I put a highlight video together, compiled all my stats, and sent it to the GM of the new team that was reforming after years of absence in the Liga Veracruzana Mexican League. Needless to say, he liked what he saw; and officially invited me for a tryout.

With determination in my legs and Witt in my arms, I was ready to show the league why they called me the Santa Ana Winds back in Irvine. I hopped on a plane and arrived to Orizaba, Veracruz; where I briefly stayed with my family friend, his wife, and his in-laws; until we could see if I made the team or not. I will forever be grateful for them taking me in lending their couch to a total stranger from thousands of miles apart. The days and nights were long; as I awaited the tryouts; and once again be able to get to back to my happy place. When the tryouts finally commenced, I immediately made an impact with my speed and quick hands. After a couple days of grinding, I officially made the team.

I remember feeling a sense of accomplishment as I put on my jersey for the Cafeteros de Cordoba. Another goal of mine was to play in Mexico and continue making my parents proud. While I knew that there was plenty more to accomplish on the field to continue being promoted, I was on the right track. I started from the get go as a lead off hitter and second basemen; quickly establishing myself as a force to be reckoned with on the plate.

Off the field, life was seemingly better as well. I went from sleeping on a couch at my friend’s in-laws house in Orizaba; to a mansion rented out solely for the players. While the beds were kid sized with the cheapest mattresses pesos could buy, it seemed like a five star Resort to me at that time. My roommates were my buddy from back home and another one of his teammates from the prior season named Luis. They were cool dudes and we got along well from the get go; but the rest of the team was a little hesitant to welcome me in. To them I was still an outsider claiming to be “Mexican”. I could speak Spanish well (Or so I thought), because I am first generation American from Mexican-born parents. Spanish is the only language used at my parents house so it was easy to communicate. However, I learned very quickly that my “Spanglish” was still susceptible to criticism; and a lot of jokes came from my errors. While mostly everyone was warming up to welcome a “pocho” to the team (what they called us Mexican-American players), the real test for acceptance came with an off the field incident that occurred early in the season.

It was a rough start to the season to say the least. Not due to talent, but due to the youth in our club. Being that we were the “new” club in the league, we were compiled of a handful of vets whom were studs in Mexican Big Leagues once upon a time; but were on their way out. There was a ton of prospects that had no Mexican Professional experience (other than their respective teams’ academy); and a couple of pochos unknown to Mexico baseball (including myself). The only Icon on our team was our coach, Salome Barojas, who played a couple of years in the Major Leagues in the States; so you can imagine he was a big deal. I recall everywhere we went to play as a visiting team, every single of of our players would get booed or name called. But when they would say, “Salome Barojas” the crowds would go wild for him. It was an awesome sight every time; and I admired the sign of respect always. His greatness, however, was not necessarily reflecting off on our team; so we were losing a lot of games. Personally, I was doing enough to establish myself as a starter and contributor to the team. I was hitting around .296 and causing havoc on the bases with my speed. Nevertheless, it wasn’t enough to make a huge difference on the scoreboards.

Off the field, the team had mutual respect for one another; but was not meshing well. After a few roster moves were made and my buddy whom had accompanied me on my journey got released, things around the players mansion were starting to become more tense. The boiling point was on a night after a rough road trip. I was sleeping in my room when a cleat was thrown through my bedroom door; shattering the glass framing around it. I was alarmed, I was furious, and I never felt more alone in an unknown world outside the baseball field. Regardless of why or how it happened, I knew that it was not the time or place to handle it. So, I harnessed my rage; and waited that long night until the following game. As our beloved coach Salome was about to embark on his pregame speech, I respectfully asked for the floor to get off my chest what I needed to. In that moment, I knew that it was my chance to earn my respect. I had to step up or I was going to continue to get stepped on; and so I called out the entire team. I told them that regardless of where we come from we all have the same goals and aspirations. But, if anyone had something personal, there was the perfect time to settle it. No one stepped up. But, after that, I did earn everyone’s respect.

In the midst of all this turmoil, there was a particular fanatic of the team whom remained loyal; even after all of the drama and losing of games. He was a man whom was blind from one eye after taking a baseball to the face as a teenager. He loved baseball and loved the Cafeteros. Even more humbling, he took a liking in the way I played the game. He said that he loved the way I carried myself always sprinting on and off the field; hitting and running the bases with high-energy. One day, he asks the GM to relay an invitation for me to join he and his family for dinner and celebrate his birthday. I was humbled and honored; so, without question, I agreed. He picked me up a short time later after the game had finished to drive over to the man’s house. In that moment, i realized that I was not in Orange County, California anymore. And, all of the problems that I thought were problems became insignificant.

The man’s house was cradled in between a couple of others. The walkway was a muddy pass and the front door was an old curtain. The Adobe made home was very small and had enough room for two beds, a cornered man-made restroom covered by a curtain, a stove, a stereo, and a dining table. While I was in shock at the living conditions, I was also consumed by a rich smell coming from the pots that had just got done cooking. The meal was exquisite and unique; as was the heart of that family that welcomed us into their home that night. I recall vividly after our meal, we talked baseball; we spoke about life and we sang. What always will stand out in my mind was watching their little girl singing her lungs out living her best life alongside her companion doll. The doll itself was made with used up pieces of corn and broken up wooden sticks. Needless to say, I gave her dad every peso I had that night so he could buy his daughter a new doll when the time was right. While it was evident that the family had very little money to their name, they expressed such joy and admiration for life. They did not care about materialistic things nor even heard of some of the big name brands. All they cared about was putting food on the table. The rest was a blessing from the Lord.

That night I cried myself to sleep. I realized that a lot of the problems that I was over-consuming myself with were not problems at all. They didn’t need the heightened significance I was giving them. I was so consumed in my personal baggage that I never opened my eyes to the world around me; and looked at life from different perspectives. In order to appreciate life and enjoy every moment, one has to step back and look at life from a different angles constantly. Try to walk miles in other peoples shoes. Once you regain your perspective on where you are in life; and where you need to be; always look into the mirror appreciate yourself. Remind yourself of all the miles you yourself have walked; the blood, sweat, tears, and endless sacrifices. Just to be able to put on a uniform and be able to do what you love everyday. The thousands that wish could be in your spot. From the things we take most for granted like being able to walk; two good eyes; to be able to play D1 baseball; and a little taste of semi-pro. When we learn to gain perspective on the world around us, then we can learn to give meaning to our lives. Once that is accomplished, we will learn to become grateful for everything we do have. For our triumphs and our tribulations. It is through that process that we continue to grow our minds, our bodies, and our souls. Happiness is self developed and self attained. It is up to us to create what happiness means to each and every one of us; and work towards building and enhancing that happiness every way you can. It does not involve money nor material things. It takes character, virtue, and above all else, self-love and appreciation for who you are.

When one finds a field or subject that captivates them, it becomes intriguing. The mentality changes and absorbing knowledge gives one a sense of fulfillment. More importantly, you start enjoying the process. Sports and the corporate world are similar in that regard. You have to become a student of the game. You have to love the grind. The 6am gym sessions, the practices, the conditioning, and the times you spent working on your craft when no one is watching. That is what separates the average from the ones who persevere. It is the infatuation with the sport or job; that alters your well-being and demands attention at all hours of the day. Even in the hardest of times, it is the love for the game that should give you that extra ounce of energy; to always finish strong. The road isn’t always pretty, but if you learn to enjoy the ride.

During my playing days, I went through a lot of different systems, and a lot of different philosophies. Some of the methods worked; some not so much. But regardless of what direction in the batting average those philosophies took me, I always showed respect for the game; for my coaches, and peers. My parents raised me to always be open minded and respect everyone’s ideologies. If they worked, great. And if they didn’t, you politely listen with one ear; and out the other. Regardless of the fact, you have to be receptive to constructive criticism; and stay humble. As you play the game, you will come across a lot of different people with different personalities. Some a lot more difficult than others. The only thing I can say to that is to entrust only in those that align with your beliefs, goals, and ideologies. And, through different circumstances that inevitably test your character, you will alter your judgement to surround yourself around the right people.

The one important thing I can leave our corporate athletes in short is this: you have to want to continue to grow/evolve yourself everyday. You have to ask questions; learn under the greatest and best minds you can revolve yourself around within your profession/on the field, and soak in every conversation with coaches/players you come across. Be respectful and you might learn the best lessons through a future hall of fame coach; or the teammate that hits alongside you. And above all else, respect yourself; respect your coaches; and respect the game. The best investment one can make is on yourself. And, the more you learn the game, the higher the “ceiling”. You combine that with the same relentless work ethic and passion that I speak of often; and the sky is your limit. Believe in yourself and become a student of the game; whether it’s on a field somewhere or in the corporate world. You may learn something.

First and foremost, when you are playing your respective sport (and quite frankly anything in life), you must be comfortable and confident. If you are not comfortable or confident, you are already losing half of the battle before it even starts. I would be lying to you if I told you that I have never let the nerves overwhelm me; and force me to make mistakes. There were plenty of times when i would get those “butterflies” in my stomach that i could not seem to shake off. And, then anxiety starts to kick in. Breathing gets heavier and the heart starts beating faster; doubting your approach and/or game plan. Even worse, sometimes when overwhelmed by anxiety, I would make a mistake by making a bad decision and then completely unravel losing belief in myself. The wheels would fall off the wagon and let that mistake dictate the remainder of my game; and/or my day. I wanted to do well so badly and so passionately that I would always want to force things to happen. Often, being my demise.

Even now in the corporate world I often find myself under stressful situations. Sometimes even a little overwhelming. The pressure that one often finds ourselves under never stops; it only bounces off to different aspects of our lives. Work, finances, sports, relationships. At many points in your life you will experience pressure situations when dealing with those aspects. It’s natural to feel a mixture of emotions. You would not be human if you didn’t. The key is to learn how to control them as best you can during the task at hand so that they never overwhelm you and/or defer you from your approach. What will always help is to take a deep breaths, revert yourself an inspirational quote, picture the motivators in your life, or think back to advice that a friend may have given you along your journey. Something, that in an instant, will bring you back to your cool and collective self.

As I promoted through the ranks of baseball (whatever worth that means to you I don’t care), I did face some nasty dudes. And, if I did not have a game plan and/or a good approach at the plate, I was already losing the battle before it had even began. Hitting is an art form that not only requires technique, but It is also a psychological chess match against the pitcher; with combinations of pitch selections and locations. Not only must one make the correct decision, have impeccable precision, but one must stay comfortable and confident at all times to have success. The difference between a game plan and an approach is that a game plan is constructed with ones perception of where their best opportunity to succeed is. One can watch prior film of their performances, get instructions, and take mental notes along the way. An approach naturalizes and matures with countless of hours practice. The goal is to have both of those work in sync at all times where they become second nature to you. That is the biggest key to success. If you let your anxiety overwhelm you and get you away from your approach and/or game plan, most of the time you will lose the battle.

While technique is obviously paramount to your development as an athlete, and/or a corporate employee, very few talk about your psychological preparation. The processing/re-processing of your brain that takes place prior to you even stepping in the batters box, running the football, or trying to complete a complex project under a limited timeline. The adjustments that one must make in milliseconds to determine success or failure. To be able to analyze and dissect the functionalities and abilities of people and places around you at all times; to give one the best opportunity to succeed. If it sounds complex; that is, because it is. But, it is also an ability that every athlete and or corporate leader do at all times with such grace. They have the ability to control their emotions so much so that it never allows them to derail from their own abilities and mentality. Making them weapons. That is What I will call ones “approach”; and/or “game plan”. An ability that begins with ones hunger to succeed. And, It is attributed and strengthened by becoming a student of your sport, your craft, and and your life itself.