Today is October 5 and the Navigate the Chaos question to consider is “How often are you willing to ask for help?”
People who navigate the chaos understand the value of seeking out those who can help them achieve their dream.
Professional baseball player Andrew Toles knows all too well the value of getting help. After graduating high school, the Florida Marlins selected Toles in the fourth round of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft. He chose not to sign with the Marlins, and enrolled in University of Tennessee.
He was named to the SEC All-Freshman team but was dismissed by the Volunteers later that year; he then transferred to Chipola College but was suspended.
The Tampa Bay Rays selected Toles in the third round of the 2012 draft. The speedy outfielder earned the 2013 organization player of the year honor. The following year did not go well for him, however, and he had to step away from baseball the final two months of the 2014 season as well as the entire 2015 season due to his anxiety.
The Rays released him, sending him to baseball purgatory at 23 years old. ‘I thought I was done, to tell you the truth,’ Toles said. ‘I didn’t think I was going to get another shot.’ He started seeing a counselor and switched up his medication. With things in order, he sought work at the Kroger.
But three weeks into his new job, an email arrived from Gabe Kapler, the Dodgers’ director of player development, who invited Toles to instructional league workouts and eventually signed him to a contract. It was Toles’ second chance, and he’s made the most of it.”
He began the 2016 with High-A Rancho Cucamonga, and after just 100 plate appearances he was promoted to Double-A Tulsa. He did so well there he earned a promotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City and continued performing well and was promoted to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 8, 2016.
Toles demonstrated that “nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.”
How often do you have the right mental attitude to ask for help?