Yesterday legendary Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter announced that he’s retiring at the end of the upcoming season.
Here’s the note that he posted on Facebook:
Here’s a video about him:
There’s so much I could comment on. Let’s start with this:
“From the time I was a kid, my dream was very vivid and it never changed: I was going to be the shortstop for the NY Yankees.”
Some might think that it’s easy to write such a sentence retroactively, after the dream has been realized. But it takes that type of reality – that the “dream” is vivid and unchanging – to make the biggest goals possible. It’s not that it was Derek Jeter’s fate to become the Yankees shortstop; it was his single-minded determination and his BELIEF that he would do so, that created that reality. You can feel the force of his intent coming through in that sentence.
Here’s an example of that focus in action:
And again:
Did you see him running for it? Compared to Brosius (Yankees #18) who seemed barely engaged by comparison. Jeter just gave it everything.
Next, from the first video, we get Reggie Jackson saying this:
“Derek really hasn’t made very many mistakes with the media. I don’t know of any. He’s been honest, he’s been forthright, he’s basically done it a lot better than I have. He’s been very consistent in how he’s handled himself.”
He put the team first. Anyone who does that wouldn’t make silly (selfish) mistakes like running his mouth off at the media. He clearly felt that it was a privilege to wear that uniform, and he would do nothing to jeopardize it.
And finally, just this: Humility.
I want to start by saying thank you.
And he ends with,
Once again, thank you.
This man has my respect. He put in the work. He helped others be better than they could be on their own. He became great at what he does. And he did it all with integrity.
Any one of us can do the same, regardless of our circumstances, or what our lives are like, or the nature of our work. You have an opportunity to be great. Be that. It’s what makes life worth living.