Lately the NFL has been in the news more for its players’ behaviors off the field than on. The elevator tape of Ray Rice punching his then fiancée and the accusation of Adrian Peterson using a switch on his four year old son have put a spotlight on both domestic violence and child abuse.
This “mess” has created a message of awareness and a national dialogue about these issues. New policies are being created.
Robin Roberts, co-host of Good Morning America, says in her book, Everybody’s Got Something, that her mom used to tell her to turn your mess into a message.
A mess is an adverse situation or undesired circumstance. Flipping the assumed negative connotation to a takeaway with meaning can be powerful. It can be a game-changer resulting in a new outcome or attitude going forward.
While messes are usually ugly when we are in them, they can teach us valuable lessons if we find the message and act on it.