The Biggest Lesson from the Super Bowl

Sunday?night we celebrated the biggest American holiday of the year. No, not Thanksgiving. I’m talking about the Super Bowl. The event that draws even non-football fans in with entertaining commercials and most importantly, snacks.

But, this year's Super Bowl felt different in a powerful way. The message of the entire affair was focused on empowerment and leadership. We saw it from the fantastic game by both teams, Rihanna’s performance where she showcased Fenty, to post-game where both teams supported one another in an incredible moment of sportsmanship.?

However, what stuck with me was a commercial that appeared before the game even began. Prior to the coin toss, you may have seen the commercial that showcased the many setbacks that these players faced to get to where they are today. Playing in the NFL or a sport at the professional level is something that so many kids dream about. But, somewhere along the way they?get discouraged or give up on this dream.?

During the commercial, they showed a variety of young children and the common phrases we all heard that were meant to “make us grow up”.?

The odds of that happening are 1 in a million.?

Maybe you should do something with better job prospects.?

Accomplishing that would be really difficult.?

The commercial went on to flip the script. ?

What if you are that one in a million??

You should follow the career path you want.?

Accomplishing that will be difficult, but with hard work you can do it.?

Here’s the lesson: what if we were encouraged to live out our dreams rather than forced to shrink them? ?

I find that when working with a client one of the most important parts of building a financial plan is helping them figure out what their dreams and goals truly are. We can earn money and save but what good is it for if we aren’t enjoying it and using it to build our dream life??

Donna Kelce has not one but TWO sons that are NFL players (if you didn’t know they faced off against each other during the Superbowl). She has been quoted and praised by several news sources for encouraging her sons to pursue their dreams despite what society says. And what they do with all of the money they earn from their NFL contracts? Well, as she says, that is up to them. ?

The biggest lesson from Superbowl LVII? Follow your dreams. ?