From an outsider’s perspective, it seems like Brett Favre has it all. He has a $25 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings, he holds seven NFL records and he sells Wrangler jeans like it’s nobody’s business.
But that’s not why I admire Favre. I admire Favre because he has the unique ability to not care what people say or think about him.
Last summer when Favre signed with the Vikings shortly before the season opener, some media members reported his signing caused a schism in Minnesota’s locker room because of the preferential treatment Favre received by not having to attend training camp.
When confronted with these reports, Favre’s response was, “I don’t even know what schism means” and completely shrugged it off.
I don’t know how he does it, something like that would eat me alive. I’m notorious to the people that know me for holding grudges. If I feel like someone has wronged me, I can’t and won’t let it go. But I know holding onto grudges and being unhappy doesn’t do anybody any good, especially me.
I wish I could turn the other cheek like Favre and I’m tempted to say that if I had all the money he has that I would be that care-free and happy too, but that is foolish. I know that happiness is a human concept which means that it’s inside all of us somewhere and it’s up to all of us as individuals to find it ourselves, with or without the cash.
With that being said, there are still some people I don’t want to bury the hatchet with even though it would be in my best interest, simply because I feel that apologizing to a person that insulted me would make me feel like a punk. But whenever I start thinking that way I need to remember what Mahatma Gandhi said:
“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”