When I was growing up, my father had many sayings that stayed with me throughout the years, but none stayed with me more than “Pay to Play”. The reason this one stayed with me was because it applies to all aspects of life, no matter the situation. Most people think of college athletes when they hear pay to play, because of the strong push to pay college athletes for using their image and likeness, but my dad took it a step further and gave me a whole new meaning to the saying. He said that there is consequences to everything you do, essentially paying for how you play.
The biggest example he used when saying this revolved around using drugs and alcohol. He always said that if I used drugs and got into a situation I did not need to be in, I was paying to play, or if i drank too much one night, I would either pay for it that night or the next morning. I took this a step further and started applying it to all aspects of my life. In my job, if I do not work hard enough, I will pay for that by not earning a raise or getting fired. In school, if I do not apply to myself to the best of my abilities, I will pay for it through my grades in my classes. I have also found a way to apply this to my attitude in life and my attitude in the business world.
My attitude in life is a major part of my life that I like to focus on. I carry myself on my respect towards others, my discipline, and my attitude. The way I apply this saying to my attitude is my attitude towards people I am meeting for the first time, because you never know who you are talking to. If I have a bad attitude towards someone I am meeting for the first time, that could affect me down the road because that could end up being my employer, someone in another job, or someone who knows someone that could have an impact on my life down the road. My attitude is very important in everyday life, but especially in the business world.
The way I apply this in the business world is making sure my ethics are lined up while working on campaigns and competing with other brands or companies. If I do something unethical in my work, I know that I will pay for that at some point down the road. My attitude and respect for others throughout my work, I will pay for that in a positive way at some point in time. Keeping my priorities straight at all times is very important to me, and before I do anything, I always hear my father saying that I will pay to play.
