My son races in Soap Box Derby. He practices for three months and has three race weekends a year. So, he was extremely disappointed when his car lost a bearing on his first run, causing him to lose. While I understand his disappointment, it got me thinking about some important life lessons that extracurricular activities provide:
1) Sometimes, things are simply out of your control. You can either dwell on it, allowing it ruin your attitude, your day, or your life. Or you can move on, adjusting the best you can. Losing a bearing was unfortunate. It caused him to lose his first heat. However, had he many more heats to race. If he dwelled on the bearing, he would have missed the fun of the rest of the day. He could have blamed the outcome of the day on that one instance. Instead, we discussed that it was a bad break, things happen, and he should continue to try his hardest. Which brings us to:
2) Winning isn’t everything. Gasp, isn’t that the goal of competition? Yes, but in life there will always be someone bigger, smarter, stronger, faster. So, do we just give up? No, we change our perspective, focusing instead on trying our hardest, doing our best, and continuing to improve. In sports, especially individual sports, there will only be one winner. It’s awesome to win, but it’s also awesome to learn from mistakes, meet a personal record, and keep striving to do a little better each time. Who knows, eventually you just might win. Which brings us to:
3) Being a gracious winner (or loser). I love our Soap Box Organization because it’s all about helping each competitor to be their best. They help each other out, show each other the ropes, and cheer each other on. It’s an understanding that without the competitor, there would be no race. So, competitors shake hands before they race. They shake hands after they race. They encourage each other, praise each other, and critique each other. They applaud the winner and the winner applauds them. Winning is the by-product of participating in an activity they love. So,
4) Focus on the game, not the outcome. In ten years, five years, one year – will it really matter if you won or lost the little league competition? Sure, you may fondly remember winning the big game, but with the right perspective, you will also fondly remember the games you didn’t win because you will remember the camaraderie, the passion, and the life lessons you learned along the way.
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