Another World Series has come and gone. This year having the Los Angeles Dodgers beating the New York Yankees in five games. Two powerhouses of the sport with some of the sport’s biggest stars facing off on one of the world’s biggest stages. What I wish to discuss here is not what happened during the series but what happens for the players after the game.
These coaches and players have prepared all year for this opportunity and they fell short. Many players are feeling the guilt of failing to make certain plays or even failing to perform. Now the question lies, what do these players do now? How do they choose to move forward and turn that experience into a learning experience?
For each of the Yankees players this process will look different. Every person has their own unique way of dealing with guilt and shame. Here are some different things that you can try if you find yourself dealing with guilt and shame. First acknowledge your feelings. It can be quite difficult to deal with something that you can not define or say what it is. So take a moment to look inwards and try to describe what you are feeling. Once you have done this you may find it easier to figure out where to go next. For many of these players they will use these feelings of guilt and shame as motivation to get better. You can do the same. Use these feelings as motivation to learn from this mistake and to challenge yourself to rise above that.
Even after all that you still find it difficult to move past these feelings then I recommend you seek professional help. A licensed Therapist can definitely help you work through these feelings and even help you dig a little deeper. The therapist can help you challenge those thoughts and feelings that are keeping you stuck and help you find a way to move forward. So if you are currently feeling guilt or shame just know that you are not alone and that there is help out there waiting for you to come and get it.