Brenda’s Blog – August 9, 2016
“Gram, do you know what a champion is?”
My little grandson looked at me in all seriousness and asked that question. We were having a day out and walking around our favorite shopping center. The sculpture cried out for young, adventurous climbers. He attempted the ascent but failed – again and again. “Do you want me to lift you up?” I asked.
That is when he looked at me with his little earnest eyes and asked the penetrating question. “Well, if I let you lift me up I won’t make it to the top and I won’t be a champion.”
During this Olympic season we all see the fruit of sacrificial training which prepares the athletes to stand atop the winners’ stand. They know what it means to be a champion – much discipline and even more pain. A friend’s husband was a gifted runner. His coaches wanted him to train with the Olympics as the goal. He dropped out with the explanation: “It stopped being fun when it started hurting.”
What price are you willing to pay to be a champion? What dreams are in your heart which will demand strategic dedication? What fuels your drive to excel?
A small boy’s simple question comes back to me frequently. When I am willing to settle for mediocrity, I hear his little voice. I can’t be a champion at everything I do, but I can identify my uniqueness and look for ways to develop it. I can clarify my direction and focus on purposeful activity. I can remember the view from the top is worth the climb.