A lesson from the Cleveland Browns

Last night, my beloved Cleveland Browns beat the Pittsburgh Steelers. Though I've lived in Los Angeles for 20 years now, and in Texas for 10 years before that, I've always remained a Cleveland Browns fan. Through the highs and lows, the painful losses, the disastrous meltdowns, The Drive, the -13 degree wind chill loss in the final seconds, through it all, I've always remained true to my Dog Pound. Perhaps it has something to do with my love for the underdogs of the world; I certainly consider myself one and we underdogs have to stick together. Except for maybe that cartoon character Underdog... he can fly solo since he can actually fly. But, I digress...

The Browns were 1-11 going into the game last night; they don't have a shot at the Super Bowl this year, and it would have been easy for them to just roll over and let the game be simply another insignificant notch on the loss column. But they didn't. They played like they had nothing to lose, because, really, at this point in the season, they don't.

And they were magnificent.

So I thought about this today and how there must be a lesson there for all of us. And I think I might have actually found something that almost borders on profound.

We should live our lives like the Browns played - like we have nothing to lose, because we just must amaze ourselves and do something magnificent.

Many of us go through our day to day routine trying to minimize risk, eliminate the chances of public humiliation and embarrassment. We choose the safe routes, the quiet paths, the listless roads again and again, because we don't want to take a chance and lose. Whether it's money, or prestige, or the respect of our peers, we never venture out and do that thing we REALLY want to do because we are afraid; we don't go for it on 4th and 2 because we don't want to look bad, or be laughed at, or ridiculed.

I say perhaps it is time to reassess that mindset, and yes, I'll be the first to admit I've got some things to examine really closely... really hard. I want to win like my Dawgs won last night; I think we all want that joy and exhilaration that comes with a hard earned victory that comes after years of trying and trying again.

So ponder on this, and next time you have a chance, play the next game in your life like you have nothing to lose; try running that play that has been scoffed at by all the others; go for it on 4th and 2; try that two point conversion. You just might be magnificent.