Competitive Greatness--- second in a series of blogs inspired by Wooden.

03 Nov 2006 22:33 (Edited: 03 Nov 2006 22:33)

What is competitive greatness? It�s being at your best when your best is needed. It�s enjoying the challenge when things become difficult, even very difficult.
True competitors know it�s exhilarating to be involved in something that is very challenging. They don�t fear it. They seek it. Is it fun to do something that is ordinary, easy, simple, something anyone can do? Not at all.
Yet most of the tasks we do in our everyday lives are very simple. Anybody could do them. They will not produce the joy that comes from being involved in something that challenges your body, mind and spirit.
Competitors love that challenge. They know if offers the chance to produce their very finest. It brings forth their competitive greatness.

from: Wooden: A lifetime of observations and reflections on and off the court. by Coach John Wooden with Steve Jamison [ link ]

There�s a deep satisfaction in accomplishment, in knowing you�ve given yourself fully to a task that challenged your skills and pushed you to grow past previous limits. To take on something difficult and accomplish your goal or at the very least to be able to look at what you did accomplish and take pride in knowing that you have done better than you ever did before.

If you only know me from my opinionated writings here, it can be hard to believe just how shy and afraid to try new things I really can be, but once I get past the fear of failure, I do tend to throw myself fully into doing whatever I have set out to do to the utmost of my ability. It�s the blessing and curse of being such a passionate driven perfectionist. Although I do not believe any superstitions, some of the descriptions of my Chinese Zodiac animal, the Tiger certainly describe me very well here.

One of the things that touched me most in reading Wooden�s book was how strongly he felt about achievement being self referenced�the measure of how well a team or an individual player did was not to be judged in comparison to another team or player, but by asking if they had done their utmost to prepare themselves and given their best effort. A star player with an overabundance of natural ability was not necessarily more to be admired or praised than a lesser player who gave it his all. He was as proud of those players who reached what was for them, their personal best and became great people who were teachers, doctors and businessmen as he was of ones who became famous pros. The responsibility for success or the blame for failure does not lie outside of us in what other people do or do not do, but is in our hands. Remember, his definition of success does not mean always winning the game. Lack of sufficient effort and preparation can make it my fault if I lose. But if I have given my best at being as prepared and tried my hardest, it doesn�t matter whether I win the game or make a pile of money. I am not merely making excuses or blaming others for my shortcomings. The greatness comes from within. I am a winner, because I have achieved my own competitive greatness. I have earned pride and respect for being the best I could be. Those who counted on me, whether it be a sports team, coworkers or a romantic partner know that I did not let them down. I gave my best. His genius as a teacher and a leader was in instilling this understanding in his players. As I read his words, I reflected once more, on the pride I feel in myself and in those I admire when I see competitive greatness at work.

�Shoot for the moon and if you miss you will still be among the stars.�
Les Brown

List of my blog entries

Competitive Greatness--- second in a series of blogs inspired by Wooden.

List of my blog entries

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