Super Bowl LVII—it’s finally here! Time to stock up on our favorite snacks and drinks, gather with our tribes and cheer our teams to victory! Most of us will be glued to the TV watching the game but there are always folks out there that are in it for the commercials and half-time show! Me…. I’m in it for the game, all the way! This year it’s the Eagles against that other team. 😊 Our city of brotherly love, AKA Philly, is all lit up in green. Since the Eagles won the NFC Championship, fans have been crowding the streets and bars chanting the Eagles chant. Philly is all in for the Super Bowl……so are the Birds!!!
“All in” is a great term. It’s used in poker to signal that you are betting all your money. If you win, you win the entire pot; but if you lose, you lose everything. You are “all in”. It’s a very exciting, but a very risky move. If you go all in, you should be confident that you have a very good hand. This confidence comes from sizing up your opponent, studying the table and understanding the odds. You do this quietly, without tipping off your opponents, which is where the term “poker face” comes from. That’s a story for another time. 😊
All that said, the concept of “all in” applies to many aspects of our lives. In business, for example, many of the entrepreneurs I know are “all in” in their businesses. I have heard so many stories about how a rabbit was pulled out of a hat at the last minute. I know of one owner who was going to have to announce to his staff that they were out of money and that day was their last. He could not afford to keep the lights on any longer; he had no choice. That afternoon, a client paid them early and he was able to make payroll and keep the business going. He sold the business years later and made more than a few of his employees millionaires along the way. They were “all in”, believed in their business with their heart and soul, took the risk and gave it everything! In this case, they won the hand!
It doesn’t always work out so well, but one thing is constant: the thrill of success is amazing. It’s the thrill of putting everything on the table, having the passion to follow your dream without fear, and winning the hand. It only comes from going “all in” with whatever you do. Sanjay and I have gone all in with J2, and we are so glad we did!!! But going “all in” can be with any aspect of your life, whether it’s work, pursing a dream, starting a family, changing your lifestyle, etc. So next time you consider a big change, consider taking the plunge and going “all in”. Just like we know the Eagles and all Eagles fans will be “all in” this weekend!
“Every champion was once a contender who refused to give up.” – Rocky Balboa
What do you feel so passionate about that you want to go all in on? Why haven’t you? What’s holding you back?
Have a great weekend.
-Vijay