What if you stopped being scared?
What if?
That’s a huge question.
And the answer looks different for everybody.
For me, the question became:
What if I really went for it?
What if I made a serious run at the NHL?
What if I actually believed I could make it?
What if I started doing all the things required of a man on a mission who believed it was possible?
For a long time, my mouth said one thing.
“I’m going to make the NHL.”
But deep down?
My mind didn’t fully believe it.
My heart didn’t fully believe it.
And if I’m being truthful, my actions didn’t fully back it up either.
It was easy to say the words.
They were just sounds.
Air coming out of my mouth.
Nothing of substance behind them.
I wanted the dream.
But I wasn’t yet living like the man who was going to accomplish it.
That changed when I finally combined two things:
Belief and action.
I started asking myself:
What if I really can do this?
What if I stop being scared?
What if I go all in?
What if I do everything required?
Then I started backing those questions up with work.
Training.
Preparing.
Getting stronger.
Taking care of my body.
Showing up.
Competing.
Doing the extra things.
And slowly, things started happening.
I earned another opportunity in the ECHL.
Then came call-ups to the American Hockey League.
Then an NHL contract with Boston.
And finally, at 32 years old, I made it to the NHL.
Looking back, the biggest shift wasn’t some secret workout.
It wasn’t a magic drill.
It wasn’t luck.
It was when I stopped merely saying what I wanted and started living like I believed it was actually possible.
That’s where I want to challenge you today.
Ask yourself:
What if?
What if you go into that next tryout with confidence instead of fear?
What if you stop worrying about making a mistake?
What if you play loose?
What if you give absolutely everything you have?
What if you stop playing not to lose…
And start playing to win?
What if you put in the extra work after everybody else goes home?
What if you take your nutrition seriously?
What if you get stronger?
What if you shoot another hundred pucks?
What if you believe in yourself enough to actually find out how good you can become?
Because there’s only one way to answer the question.
You have to go for it.
You have to take the risk.
You have to put in the work.
You have to lay it all on the line.
Maybe it works exactly the way you dreamed.
Maybe the road takes you somewhere completely unexpected.
But you’ll never have to spend the rest of your life wondering:
What if I had really gone for it?
I believe in you.
Now believe in yourself enough to find out.
Keep those knuckles up always.
Your friend,
Bobby Robins, Boston/Providence Bruins Alum
P.S. Belief means a lot more when you back it up with action. One of the easiest ways to start is by putting in extra reps when nobody is watching.
Grab your Puckaround and Wraparound, head to the driveway or garage, and get to work.
Don’t just say you want to get better. Prove it with the reps.