I get it. Winning is fun. And winning as the underdog is really fun.
I’m a huge believer in healthy competition. I love that it gives you checks and balances on your own performance, and not winning keeps you striving to be better.
Big wins that you have worked long and hard for change you forever. The win signals you ‘did it’ but the journey to get there, that is where the magic lies.
Some of my favourite people are the ones who not only won, but became the essence of what I would call a true champion.
They know that you “can’t win ’em all”. They don’t expect to. They celebrate wins briefly and learn exponentially from the losses. They don’t wallow, they grow.
They have learned laser focus. They know the small details make all of the difference and distractions from them will ruin you.
They get that it’s not about the detriment of the ‘other guy’, but the dedication to thoroughly learning and studying your discipline. They welcome the best into the arena with them, and wish the best for them.
They understand that you can always know more, improve, and have greater clarity than you used to and that you will never know it all. They strike a beautiful balance between remaining humble about learning and being confident in what they know.
They have enormous control of their emotions. They have had to perform under extreme amounts of pressure, handle their nerves, and face devastating loss in the public eye without losing composure.
They have huge hearts. They try so hard, put so much effort in, and care so deeply.
A true champion doesn’t have to win everything all of the time.
A true champion doesn’t think second place is the first loser.
A true champion is grateful for the experience, for who he has become, and for the people who helped him get there.
A true champion knows he’s not a one man show.
And that’s why these are my favourite people.