You’ve experienced it before, haven’t you? When you are pursuing your passion and everything else disappears? You’re so focused and in the flow that you lose track of time? All the other problems you worry about fade away. You’re almost not even thinking consciously about anything, you’re just doing. Everything that you’ve worked so hard on is all coming together and now it’s time to play.

It’s a great feeling.

With basketball season starting up I remembered the 2014 championship between Kentucky and Connecticut. Kentucky Coach John Calipari was interviewed during half time and he had some great advice for his team.

He was asked why a couple of his players were struggling. He said they were young and nervous.

“…See, when you get that anxiety it’s hard to be aggressive and so I just told them, ‘We’re going to win this thing – we’re down two buckets – if you play with energy and lose yourself in the game.'”

But, Greg, Kentucky lost the championship game.

Yes, thanks for reminding me and ruining my point.

But, the win isn’t the point. The point is to pursue your passion with everything you have and enjoy the ride. UK wasn’t expected to even be in the championship game. They kept pursuing their passion, losing themselves in the game and good things kept happening.

When’s the last time you lost yourself in the game? When’s the last time you had that joyful feeling of being in the zone? When’s the last time you followed your passion with abandon?

Lose yourself in the game.