What exactly does it mean to “put your heart” into something?

There is this song by Kenny Rogers called ‘When You Put Your Heart In It’. I love the lyrics, because I feel like anyone who has been on a cheer team, or a competitive sports team of any kind, can relate to it.

cheerheart1We knew it was one in a million
It was such a long shot
But somehow we’ve got here together
And who knows what will happen
Anything can happen
If we keep getting better
And we keep on believing
When you put your heart in it
It can take you anywhere
Who’s to say that we can’t make it
It’s the same dream that we share
When you put your heart in it
It can take you anywhere
This road was so long and winding
It was such a hard road
But we couldn’t stop once we had started
We were always getting closer
Suddenly it happens
A chance in a lifetime
Now we’re gonna take it, we can make it
When you put your heart in it
It can take you anywhere
Who’s to say that we can’t make it
It’s the same dream that we share
Keep on believing
Keep on believing
When you put your heart in it
It can take you anywhere
Who’s to say that we can’t make it
It’s the same dream that we share
When you put your heart in it
It can take you anywhere

We encourage our athletes to push themselves to their max, and then some, every practice. We try to teach them that the only way to really be exceptional is to put everything you have into everything you do. As a competitive cheerleader, putting your heart into it means giving 110% effort and focus each and every time you take the mat, whether it be at practice or at an event.

As they get older, this becomes more complicated. They become masters of effort. Somewhere, as they transition to young adulthood, putting their heart into something becomes about passion and belief. It’s no longer about giving effort, because they all know how to do that even with their brains and hearts turned off. Heart becomes about inspired effort–doing things that are remarkable.

I have learned personally that I am capable of doing some really great work if I’m inspired. When I am passionate with what I’m doing, some magic can happen. That’s what having my heart in it looks like for me. When my heart isn’t in it, I get distracted and increasingly frustrated over time. The heart is a pretty important part of the equation. Without true passion it is extremely difficult to truly reach your full potential in life.

Here’s the thing about hearts. Where our hearts go, the rest of us follows. So, building a gym and a family of athletes that is heart-worthy might be the most powerful competitive advantage you can create.

“You’ve got to find what you love. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” – Steve Jobs

Co-founder Heart of Cheer

Co-founder Heart of Cheer

Resources
Metro Lyrics
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html

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What exactly does it mean to “put your heart” into something? There is this song by Kenny Rogers called ‘When You Put Your Heart In It’. I love the lyrics, because I feel like anyone who has been on a cheer team, or a competitive sports team of any kind,...