reggie communication skillGuess who just got cut the other day?

Reggie Bush.

Remember Reggie Bush when he got out of college?

He was the golden boy for the New Orleans’ Saints. He was going to be the second coming of another USC alum: OJ Simpson. Reggie Bush had the smile. Reggie Bush had the moves. But, Reggie Bush never had an amazing run in the NFL. He was a decent player with decent stats, but never had the unbelievable year we thought he would. Then he was cut.

The NFL and the Carolina Panthers said, no more. You’re old. You’re cut. This is what I love about the NFL. Even if you have a contract, doesn’t matter. When you’re done, you’re done. You can be a year into your contract and if team doesn’t want to be around you anymore… you’re cut.

There are no guarantees in the NFL. If you stop working hard, if a better player comes along, you get cut and you’re out. The NFL is just like dating and relationships. Imagine you’re in a long-term relationship. One of the partners in the relationship gets lazy…

They stop doing the drills and the exercises they did in the beginning…

They gain a few pounds…

Sex goes away…

Conversations start disappointing…

One day you wake up and you’ve been cut. That’s what I love about the NFL. It’s harsh. It’s what I love about life.  It’s equally as harsh.  For the hard working people, you can continue to stay in long-term relationships because you know you have to put your best foot forward daily.  You’ve got to learn new ways to communicate with your partner.

You’ve got to learn how to keep your partner happy. You’ve got to step outside yourself and be a team player. Just like the NFL, right?

The second you slack off in a relationship, all hell breaks loose. Just like if you were to slack off in the NFL. If you’re in a long-term relationship, you’ve got to work hard at it every day. You need to learn what your partner needs, put yourself in their shoes, and learn how to communicate. Communication is the key to everything. Being able to communicate your needs, wants, and desires is essential to understanding your partner’s level of communication as well.

You have to constantly study the playbook because if you think about it, your partner has a playbook. Once you understand your partner’s playbook, you know the right plays to do, just like in the NFL. Will Reggie Bush find another team? He may get another year and then he’s done. He’ll be off to the next job. If you break up with the woman you’re with right now, you’re off to another one.

The question is: When she does arrive, do you understand how to use the playbook with her?

If not it time you started learning.

Check out The Power Of Communication to understand more.