All In to Win!

By Beverly Buffini

Some of you reading this article might know that I participated in the Olympics. For those who are unfamiliar with my background, I thought I’d begin by sharing a little bit about my journey.

I’m a former member of the USA Women’s National Volleyball Team that trained in San Diego, CA from 1985–1988. We traveled the world, competing against other nations and had a mantra from day one to “Win the Gold in Seoul” at the 1988 Olympic Games. We learned invaluable lessons along the way, some agonizing, many costly, while others were glorious.

I also coached the men’s and women’s volleyball teams at the United States Military Academy in West Point. The mission of West Point is to educate, train and inspire the Corps of Cadets to become leaders who are committed to the values of Duty, Honor, and Country, and who are ready for a career of professional excellence and service to the nation as United States Army officers.

This opportunity was more than I could ever imagine as a little girl. In addition to coaching at West Point, I was able to train for the National Team tryouts. Coaching the cadets and witnessing their journey encouraged me to achieve, and propelled me to excel. My experience elevated my game and proved to be a significant factor in shaping my philosophy on winning. It was the best mental training ground for the biggest challenge of my athletic career—making the cut for the USA National Volleyball Team.

Preceding my stint at West Point, I played collegiate volleyball at the University of Alabama for two years; however, when they terminated the volleyball program, I transferred to the University of Tennessee. We were devastated by the loss of our program, but the transfer worked out for the best, as I was blessed to earn All-American and SEC MVP honors respectively while at Tennessee.

Growing up I participated and competed in various sports on my junior high and high school teams. Although I’ve experienced a variety of coaching styles, there was one theme in common, and that was this confident belief that every athlete would give 100% for a winning effort every time she stepped out on the court or field.

“I hope to encourage and inspire you to make the necessary changes to overcome obstacles, and win!”

This 100% commitment, or All In, mantra has helped countless numbers of individuals and athletic teams to achieve great success, and it can achieve great success in other areas of our lives, too. I’ve tried to incorporate this simple but profound “All In To Win” coaching philosophy into three areas of my life. It can move mountains, even if you don’t see light at the end of the tunnel, or if you feel defeated or struggling with nagging problems that steal your energy. I hope to encourage and inspire you to make the necessary changes to overcome obstacles, and win!

All In to win… on being a godly woman
Like most of you, one of my biggest challenges is balancing my time: getting enough rest, preparing healthy meals, taking care of the family, etc. Due to the many demands on my time, sometimes I can get overwhelmed and frustrated. However, because of my faith in God, and my All In commitment to being a godly example for our kids, I have learned to see these situations as trials; trials to test my patience and that will allow me to weather the toughest days.

All In to win… on being a mother
Motherhood is a huge responsibility and an enormous task. It’s a profession of great sacrifice and service. There isn’t anything easy about being a good mother. One woman said, “It can be back-breaking, heart-wrenching, and anxiety-producing—and that’s just the morning!” Often, I focus on the problems and forget about celebrating the many joys of motherhood and the six, now seven (including Nicole, AJ’s new wife) wonderful blessings in our family. It’s easy to grow weary with the many demands and challenges, but fortunately I gather the courage to persevere and mother with passion through my faith in God. Being a mother is an area where I’m All In through the good, the bad and the ugly. Less than 100% commitment is not an option.

All In to win… on being the support for Brian Buffini
Supporting Brian in his endeavors has been an exciting journey. He promised me when we married that I’d never experience a dull day with him, and he was correct. It’s been a journey filled with tremendous highs and some definite lows, but through it all, I can share that all of these experiences have served as stepping stones for where we are today.

 The most important support I provide is to encourage Brian and give him ample space and time to achieve his goals. As you all know, he is passionate about helping improve the lives of others. Every year, thousands are inspired by the content presented at MasterMind. Months before the event, I watch him pour over videos and music, and research literature over and over again to prepare. He is passionately All In to win. I’ve learned from him that the magic isn’t really in the presentation, but in the preparation. “Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” – Paul J. Meyer

So what about you? Are you All In? Are you giving the absolute best that you can with what you have? Are there areas in your life where you have lost your passion? If so, it’s time to fan the flames and get back on track. Like my many coaches, I hope you give nothing less than 100%. If it’s important to you, it’s worth it. Analyze and evaluate all that’s vital to you. Shake the negative talk, the negative people and the past mistakes and failures. Enjoy the many highs, but be prepared to handle the low points and persevere through it. Napoleon said, “The greatest attribute of a soldier is not loyalty, it’s not courage, it’s endurance.” If you need to push the restart button, go ahead. It begins with your All In decision. No better time than at MasterMind! Be a part of a winning team! You can, you will, believe!

Originally posted: Buffini & Company Blog