You are only a hero for a moment — invest in yourself

The cheering stops. It stops more than once, and every time it does you feel empty if you built your identity on the applause.

I threw no-hitters in Little League. By high school, I was throwing darts over 90 mph and getting picked up for games in a coach’s air-conditioned Cadillac. People treated me like a rock star. It felt incredible.

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ GM drafted me my senior year and offered me a contract to play professional baseball. Real money. A real choice. I turned it down to commit to the University of Arizona and play football instead.

I’ve thought about that decision for decades. Not because it was wrong — my life turned out to be a blessing — but because it taught me something about the nature of being a “hero.” The cheering stops. It stops more than once, and every time it does, you feel empty if you built your identity on the applause instead of on yourself.

Savor those moments when they come. They’re the best feeling in the world, and they leave as fast as they arrive.

Here’s the lesson I’d give my younger self: don’t wait for the crowd to tell you who you are. Invest in yourself — your discipline, your character, your relationships — because that’s the only thing still standing when the stadium empties out and everyone goes home.

Being a hero is a moment. Being a man, a father, a mentor — that’s a lifetime commitment. Choose accordingly.