TUESDAY COMMENTARY: FAITH OVER FEAR

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98, Rock 98.5 FM & LTD Radio)

It’s Tuesday and that means it’s time for the Good, the Great & the Ugly!

First the good: Honestly there’s nothing good about Canada’s early exit from the Womens World Cup soccer tournament in Australia. At least Canada made history – they’re the first team to ever win gold at the Olympics, then fail to advance out of the group stage at the next World Cup!

You know what’s good about it? I’m actually finally following the sport because up until a few years ago, all this talk would’ve been Greek to me.

You CAN teach an old dog new tricks, if he’s willing to learn.

Next, the great: We look to the NFL for this one. Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin participated in training camp for the first time on Monday, and was on a field for the first time since going into cardiac arrest on Monday Night Football last year, and being stretchered off the field.

At the time, I remember a football friend in Florida looking me in the eye and asking if I thought Hamlin would ever return to the field again. I clearly remember saying that he should just be happy to walk out of the hospital.

Well, here we are, and Hamlin is back. His Recovery story will inspire millions and as he told reporters in Buffalo on Monday, “If your faith is stronger than your fear, you can overcome anything.”

Amen.

He survived the tragedy, and now has a message and the platform to deliver it.

And lastly, the ugly: I don’t find myself in too many arguments these days but on the weekend I was with a wealthy, older friend of mine from Florida.

We were chatting on the phone and I was outlining my plans for the fall and beyond. He stopped me, and huffed that my goals were all wrong and that I should be focusing on more power, control and money because that’s what life’s about.

I told him to stay in his own lane and if he wants to captain his own ship that’s fine, but to stay out from behind the wheel of mine. My goal is to be happy, help others, and to let the chips fall from there. I love my life, and how dare anyone else tell me how to live it!

We hung up on each other. Then five minutes later he called back and apologized and said he wished he’d had my outlook years ago.

It’s not ugly for me, but unfortunately it is for him.

That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+TV, WQEE Radio, Podcast & YouTube Live)