CHAMPIONS COMPETE

There are many ways to separate the champion from everyone else, but one of the easiest and most obvious is in the arena of competition. Though the opponent we find waiting there varies, that arena exists every day for each one of us. Some days it’s a public battle we’re challenged to fight; other days it’s private. Some days the bright lights of the big stage shine brightly on our performance; other days we’re tested in the dark. Some days we come out on top; other days we fall short. There's plenty of unknown about what that competition might look like today, but one thing is certain. No matter where that fight is found, why it exists, or what’s waiting there in the arena, champions compete.

Of course, everyone says they want to win, but competing moves you beyond just your words. Competing is really about the choices you make and the action you take in response to that desire. It’s not just saying you want to win, it's proving it! Champions are unique and uncommon in their commitment to providing that proof. Their effort, their toughness, and their attitude all validate the champion's competitive spirit and will to win.

Competing isn't just saying you want to win, it's proving it.

So how do you build your capacity for competing? You start by recognizing what exactly your competition looks like today. Champions recognize that sometimes competing means battling under the bright lights of the big stage against an opponent in a different jersey. But they also recognize that sometimes our opponent is more subtle. Sometimes, for instance, you’re competing less against another person and more against the circumstances of your situation. That battle usually isn’t as obvious to outsiders or observers, but it's one that challenges you just the same.

Maybe it's when or where the contest is happening that tests you. Maybe the conditions or the elements aren’t ideal. Maybe someone else has made a decision that’s complicated your plans. Maybe things aren't going the way you expected. Whatever it is, you can bet unforeseen circumstances will regularly challenge your performance. When they do, you have a choice. You can give up, like many people do...or you can compete. In moments like those, champions – not surprisingly – make the uncomfortable, inconvenient, awesome choice to step in the arena and fight. In doing so, they define themselves not by their challenging circumstance, but by what they accomplish in spite of it.

Champions also recognize that our biggest and stiffest competition usually comes from ourselves. This is almost always a private battle you fight. It’s your average or mediocre self you’re wrestling with – your inner loser, you might call it. It’s shown up tempting you to settle for less than your best, to take the easy way out, or to give in to your soft, lazy, or undisciplined impulse. Maybe you’re sick or tired or sore. Maybe you’re frustrated or fearful, or maybe you didn’t get something you thought you were entitled to. In moments like those, that inner-loser will be begging your champion self to quit the fight and play the victim. There – all alone in the dark – it's just you, competing against yourself.

I want to challenge and encourage you today to be a competitor. First, recognize clearly the opponent you're facing. Maybe it's someone in another jersey who’s after what you're after. Maybe it’s the challenging circumstance of your situation, or maybe it’s that inner-loser that’s stepped up to test your toughness. Once you know what you’re up against, then do what champions do. Compete! Don't just say you want to win, prove it. Make winning choices and take winning action that validate your desire.

Of course, choosing to compete even at your highest level doesn’t guarantee you the outcome you want, but it does put you in the best possible position to win. It might not keep you from criticism or ridicule if you come up short, but it will eliminate the regret that comes with knowing there was a battle you could’ve fought – should’ve fought, really – and maybe even could've won. There's no telling what that arena of competition might look like for you today, but I'm confident – wherever you are and whatever you're doing – you'll find one. When you do, choose the way of the champion. Step in and compete.