Messi and the Making of a Legend
We can't do anything but salute the brave man who dared to bet on himself.
Photo credit: AP
On Saturday, I got a little carried away cleaning our camper van and missed the first half of the Copa America 2021 football match. *Face palm*. At least I made it to the second half of the match between Brazil and Argentina.
Normally I would root for Brazil. As a Venezuelan, who has travelled to Brazil, and who identifies more with Brazil’s indigenous/African descent than Argentina’s European history, it’s understandable. But not this time.
This time I was rooting for Messi, and by extension Argentina.
Messi’s Win Shone a Light to Our Dreams
It was incredible to watch Messi’s speed, control and ability. He did not dive to get a penalty, he did not harm the players and he did not cheat. He was honest.
Even more…
The grit, the guts, the tackles, the precision, the humility, the peace amongst the pressure. Messi was absolutely mind-blowing. The respect he garners transcends international borders.
So when the match ended, I couldn’t help but be happy for him; for the man who played and gave every ounce of himself to the sport he loves.
While everyone rejoiced, I had a philosophical conversation with myself.
What areas of my life was I working hard at (to the level that Messi was)?
What was I obsessing over (like Messi obsessed over with football)?
Was I implementing compounding habits that will get me to my destination?
What am I doing with the one and only life gifted to me? Wast it counting for something worthwhile?
Thanks to Messi and his shining honour, I was reflecting upon my life. More than that, I was beginning to demand more of myself.
Imagine what that was doing to millions of little kids in South America, a continent made destitute by the governing powers that be? Whose dreams don’t get far because of the injustice they must bear witness to even at a young age (thanks to colonialism, corruption and oppressive leaderships)?
On Saturday, that changed. They knew they could be winners too.
Success is Not Achieved Overnight
As much as it’s wonderful to idolize Messi, we must remember he was not an overnight success.
Messi has been playing soccer since he was in kindergarten (around 5 years old). Apparently he’d take the ball with him when his mother would send him off to run errands. And if he didn't have one, he would make one out of plastic bags.
When he was 11-years old, everyone noticed he was the shortest boy on the field. The doctors diagnosed him with a growth hormone deficiency and prescribed him nightly hormone injections.
"I had a growth problem," Messi said, "but that never stopped me from playing."
Even with a health issue, he was unstoppable.
Now fast forward to 2021, the Copa America final is here. Argentina won its first major title since 1993. Messi lifted his first major trophy for the national team; finally filling in one of the biggest gaps in his decorated career - winning for his country.
But to get to this point in time, Messi had to put in unimaginable amount of hours into his craft. He endured painful, long practices. He persisted through losses and developed a dogged mindset that would not break. He made sacrifices we can’t possibly fathom.
It was the culmination of all these steps that catapulted him to the level of excellence in which he operates.
"It took me 17 years and 114 days to become an overnight success,” said Messi when referring to October 2004 (his professional debut for FC Barcelona).
It’s these small things together, that when compounded, create exponential growth.
One Last Thought
Saturday was truly special for me because it made me reflect on the intention and the intensity with which I live my life.
Messi reminded me that hard-work brings us joy. It can be uplifting and it can provide purpose to our lives. After all, I believe we all crave to work hard at something we love and believe in.
For me, that is to continue to talk about the issues that matter most to me - financial inequality and the injustices created by the oppressive governing powers that be. I also want to explore how we can all play a role in making this world a more fair place. I’m prepared to work hard at that through The Misfit newsletter.
Finally, when I see Messi’s sickening work ethic, with a quiet spirit, a fierce determination, and when I see him win; there’s nothing to do but to salute the brave man who dares to bet on himself.
We all want a hero to praise, and over the weekend we praised Messi.