Winning is a must in a game. A game without a winner is
child’s play. Like those games we played as kids and everyone got a trophy. There
was really no incentive to strive for improvement. It is that desire to turn up
as a winner that pushes the adrenaline over the top. But how far? And how
desperate?
I love soccer. I play soccer for fun. I just play. I don’t get into
any rigorous, butt kicking hard core training because I am not playing as a
profession. There is no money involved. But say, if I want to try out for the
US women national team, everything kicks into high gear, and I push myself to
the limits. I watch games people play for fun and when there is a price on the
line, it’s different. There is more passion in the latter. It is not that there
is no love for the game, but there is an extra push or force that reward draws.
What am I saying? In general, in life, if there is no reward at the end point,
if there is no trophy that your heart is set on, that extra is lacking. Maybe the
reason you are lacking passion or diligence in that area of life that is
disconcerting you, is that you have not asked yourself why? Why am I doing
this? What is the end point? What am I pressing for? What do I gain? What is
the price? If you can see the end point, and it is what you desire, the drive
is inevitable.
I think that is a very insightful point. Not many people stop to think about what they are doing in their life and whether or not it is really what they want. I think that is why you see so many people going about the day looking bored and defeated. Reading your post definitely made me pause and think about my life and where I stand today.
ReplyDeleteI like the point you made here. So many times you hear individuals say, "well what's in it for me?" and that shouldnt be the case all the time. There is nothing wrong with being selfless every once in a while, and just doing something, or accomplishing something without getting an incentive. Yes, incentives are nice, but they should not be needed in order to do something to your full potential.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there is something about recognizing the goal out in front of you that you are pursuing that unlocks vast reserves of energy and drive. It may well be considered among the distinguishing marks of effetive people that they are highly skilled at envisioning the finish line and subsequent reward.
ReplyDeleteThat is a very interesting perspective. I agree that goals are very important in life, and there definitely need to be reasons for achieving those goals. However, I think sometimes people get so caught up in competition, that they lose the love for something, whether that be sports or a hobby.
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