Winning a fair competition

Would many of us agree success in business and life in general is not necessarily fair?

Sports might just be one of the last human endeavors that embodies our idea of a fair competition. Of course, this assumes that the use of performance enhancing drugs or dirty tricks is (should be!) strictly prohibited. Ha, have you ever considered what the Hollywood we came to know would look like if the use of drugs and other enhancements money can buy was prohibited?!? Luckily, regular people like me can compete in the world of amateur sports, which by and large offers fair competition. In fact, everyone has the chance to win.

We all train best by visualizing victory. Consider this: some of us, more "mature" competitiors, had already learned that while it is really nice to get an actual prize, it is not really necessary to win the competition to feel like a winner. We win by simply being willing to challenge ourselves to compete. The efforts to maintain or stay in shape, to polish your technique, having the guts to sign up for the competition, and then being able to concentrate and to give it your best, in spite of all else that might happen in our “real life” at that time, are always rewarded. All these traits are essential for competing in life or business. We had already won the challenge against ourselves.

If this is not good enough for some, consider the point a highly competitive rower offered to encourage me to stay in the game: “And yes, you can actually win the trophy one day! Every year, more and more in your age group up will drop out of the competition. If you keep at it for long enough, one day you also will win the first place just by showing up…”