I shared on social media earlier this week that Leo is in Atlanta over spring break to participate in a mini-camp for USA Soccer.

Last weekend, Leo had an unfortunate jamming of his big toe on his right foot. Thankfully, he didn’t break his toe, but he did rip back the skin right on the tip of his toe—the very spot that rubs against and hits the toe box of his cleats.

Possibly THE worst time to have an accident like this—I’m very aware that performance at a mini-camp, even for USA Soccer, at the age of 13 isn’t a career-deciding experience, but to a 13-year-old, this is the greatest opportunity of his life.

I could tell Leo was concerned that his toe might affect his ability to compete.

I told him that he was lucky because the injury on his toe looked like it would heal up just in time for the camp. It wouldn’t be fully healed, but it would no longer be painful and he wouldn’t notice it while he was playing—he was lucky that it happened the exact day it did because it was just enough time to heal up.

I believed what I told him.

I also told him he had to trust me and believe that his toe would be fine and he’d compete at his best—if he believed it, then it would happen. But, if he was scared that his toe would still be bothering him and that he wouldn’t play as well, then that is what would happen.

Whatever he expected going into today’s first day of camp is what he would experience.

Each day this week, I could see Leo get more and more excited as his toe was healing—he’d find little improvements and noticed how it hurt less each day.

This afternoon, he participated in all of the drills and said his toe felt normal.

He expected his toe to heal, just in time, and it did.

Now, I have to be completely honest…I’m not sure Leo helped his toe heal any more than it would have if he'd continued to worry about it. My guess is, physically, his toe is exactly the same today as it would have been had he expected that his toe would negatively impact his play.

But it doesn’t matter, because of the old saying mind over matter.

I was texting with a friend of mine this week, and he was sharing how his company is getting ready to go through a pretty major transition. As he described the next few months, he used “chaos”, “all over the place”, and “big undertaking”. I couldn’t help but fire back a voice note, so he could hear my tone and know I was replying out of love, and challenged him not to downplay that big change, but to see the exciting opportunities on the other side of the transition.

Yes, it’s going to be hard work. Yes, there will be things that don’t go as planned.

But, the transition could be seen as exciting and full of opportunities if he chose to see it that way.

I warned him that if he expected chaos, he would receive it.

Because you often get what you expect.

See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,

JC