Greetings!
Every couple of years we are revisited by either the Summer or Winter Olympics. As I watch the world class athletes, I can't help but ponder on the journey that each Olympian must undoubtedly go through in order to be ranked amongst the best in the world in their particular field. I for one love to watch the olympics.For many, the level of skill is not truly appreciated, and can often be overlooked.
I have never heard a U.S. athlete get up on the podium and talk about how "Easy" it was to get there. I have never heard them talk about how everything has gone perfectly.
Life is not perfect, it is not always pretty, and for those who are striving to be their best, it is never easy.
Whether in the workplace, at home, in sports, or in every day survival, Champions Defeat Obstacles. Through out the last ten years I have had the pleasure and honor of teaching more than 2000 students. Each of them had individual challenges. Most were minor in scale. Your basic behavioral or social issues. But others were more severe. In a time when it seems as though all of our children have some type of label after their name that makes them look like doctors - Johnny Smith ADD, Susie White ADHD, Michael Williams ODD, etc., the students who come in with missing arms, missing hands, brain tumors, paralysis, and heart defects are the ones who really stick out in my mind. I love seeing a person look at their handicap, throw caution to the wind, and tell the world, "You will not beat me, because I refuse to lose!"
These are the people that I look up to. They have an internal strength to look at what lies ahead of them as a challenge rather than an obstacle. Isn't that really the difference in any champion? They look at what others call a problem or a road block, and they see a challenge and another opportunity to hone their skill.
Champions Defeat Obstacles before they even know there was one, because they have a winning spirit and a desire to improve themselves regardless of the circumstances.
Respectfully,
