Champions
I love competing and winning…who doesn’t? Competing tests our limits. It forces us to break through boundaries we once thought were impossible. Competition is the light that reveals champions. It separates the men from the boys….the amateurs from the pros…the winners from the losers.
I know some people will make the argument that they only compete with themselves. Honestly, I don’t get that. I always compete with myself, but when I compete with others…it takes me to another level, especially when they excel at what they do. When I am competing with someone who is better than I am, it makes me better. Iron sharpens iron. When we compete with others the cream rises to the top. If all I ever do is compete with myself, how do I truly improve? It seems to me that I am setting a low bar to attain if that is my benchmark.
Yes, we need to compete with ourselves, but we need to compete with others to stretch, grow, and break boundaries that we thought we could never attain. If we only compete with ourselves, does that truly make us champions? I don’t think so. When we have conquered our fears, our personal goals, and our self-imposed limitations…that is certainly a level of success, but when we do that AND compete with others and win, then the meaning of champion takes on a new definition. It has depth and significance.
We can settle for the easy route of just competing with ourselves, but if we want the meaning of champion to have any substance…we have to compete with ourselves and others. That is when victory is sweet. That is when we create memories that matter. That is when we make history.
I hope you excel not only in what you attempt to accomplish, but in also in all that really matters to your life and your purpose. May you be the champion that God designed you to be. Just remember that champions don’t just go for their goal; they go for the gold.
Shalom!
Dan Skognes