photo by the author If you are afraid of competition, you’re afraid of life! Competition is life. Every day we assert ourselves for what we deserve. If we do not, who will? Competition is natural. It makes you better by making you work harder and smarter. Yes, some lose and some win. In fact, anyone would lose more than they win if they are aggressive enough. The most successful people have failed the most! Here are just a few examples:
Now I see numerous corners of society looking at competition as unfair, something we shouldn’t force on our children for fear they may suffer. How insane is this philosophy? Competition is the load we put upon ourselves to build mental muscle, toughness, and resiliency. Without those qualities, you go nowhere in life on your own.
Failure is learning. As your mountain of failure grows, your abilities, knowledge, senses, and determination also grow. When your success comes, you ride high on that symbolic mountain. Success gained without struggle sits on a molehill, and no one can see you down there.
Competition is in every aspect of life, but nowhere is it more evident than in sports. The net sum of all sports events is 50% winners and 50% losers, but that doesn’t scare competitors. When working together, competitors are successful. People who succeed in working with others have struggled alone; they have learned the talent and perseverance to thrive. For example, ‘Coaches Against Cancer’ will have equal wins and losses in Toto, but they win as a group, fighting cancer.
Recently, ‘Sports Illustrated’ named five “activists” athletes sportspersons of the year. Competition has taken a back seat to attention. “Attention, not competition, is becoming the point of sports.” Says Jason Whitlock, a sports writer on Outkick.com. When attention is given to activists instead of competitors, the purpose of sport is lost.
I’m afraid this trend will consume our young people. More attention on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat is overcoming grades, physical fitness, and community service as our children’s goals. Some young people become obsessed with social media and their social standing, and when they don’t see the results they want; they become deeply depressed.
When your child is involved in honest competition, depression is not as likely to happen. Instead, they will be challenged to improve and have less time to poke at their devices. Of course, disappointments will come in competition, but they will be growing emotionally – not true in the world of attention!
As a parent, a goal is to find an endeavor that presents a challenge to your children in an area where they have interest and talent. Competition in that activity will help them to improve. The only time competition would harm a child’s growth is to force them into an activity in which they have no interest. While some competition is unavoidable, it would be foolish to make your child play soccer or play the violin if they hate it. While best to finish a commitment, don’t signup for the next season. Alternatively, they may love dance, art, or baseball.
Note: Give them time before giving up on a challenge, for sometimes they grow to love a new activity.
Summary
Don’t let your children follow the trend of less competition, more attention. Get their minds and bodies working! Don’t let this new social media phenomenon, with the world as a whole available through a small screen in their pocket, change their values. Keep your childrem busy, monitor their activities, and have rules with consequences. Compete!
#powerofdadhood
- Jack Canfield and his co-author (“Chicken Soup for the Soul”) suffered through 144 rejections before being published.
- The best hitters in baseball fail seven times in ten at-bats.
- Lincoln had a tough life and lost several elections before his presidency.
- Churchill, Disney, Edison, J.K. Rowling all had significant failures before success.
Now I see numerous corners of society looking at competition as unfair, something we shouldn’t force on our children for fear they may suffer. How insane is this philosophy? Competition is the load we put upon ourselves to build mental muscle, toughness, and resiliency. Without those qualities, you go nowhere in life on your own.
Failure is learning. As your mountain of failure grows, your abilities, knowledge, senses, and determination also grow. When your success comes, you ride high on that symbolic mountain. Success gained without struggle sits on a molehill, and no one can see you down there.
Competition is in every aspect of life, but nowhere is it more evident than in sports. The net sum of all sports events is 50% winners and 50% losers, but that doesn’t scare competitors. When working together, competitors are successful. People who succeed in working with others have struggled alone; they have learned the talent and perseverance to thrive. For example, ‘Coaches Against Cancer’ will have equal wins and losses in Toto, but they win as a group, fighting cancer.
Recently, ‘Sports Illustrated’ named five “activists” athletes sportspersons of the year. Competition has taken a back seat to attention. “Attention, not competition, is becoming the point of sports.” Says Jason Whitlock, a sports writer on Outkick.com. When attention is given to activists instead of competitors, the purpose of sport is lost.
I’m afraid this trend will consume our young people. More attention on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat is overcoming grades, physical fitness, and community service as our children’s goals. Some young people become obsessed with social media and their social standing, and when they don’t see the results they want; they become deeply depressed.
When your child is involved in honest competition, depression is not as likely to happen. Instead, they will be challenged to improve and have less time to poke at their devices. Of course, disappointments will come in competition, but they will be growing emotionally – not true in the world of attention!
As a parent, a goal is to find an endeavor that presents a challenge to your children in an area where they have interest and talent. Competition in that activity will help them to improve. The only time competition would harm a child’s growth is to force them into an activity in which they have no interest. While some competition is unavoidable, it would be foolish to make your child play soccer or play the violin if they hate it. While best to finish a commitment, don’t signup for the next season. Alternatively, they may love dance, art, or baseball.
Note: Give them time before giving up on a challenge, for sometimes they grow to love a new activity.
Summary
Don’t let your children follow the trend of less competition, more attention. Get their minds and bodies working! Don’t let this new social media phenomenon, with the world as a whole available through a small screen in their pocket, change their values. Keep your childrem busy, monitor their activities, and have rules with consequences. Compete!
#powerofdadhood
