My wife told me of an event that occurred at a under eight’s netball game. The little girl in the Goal Keeper’s position fell over at an early stage in the game, and her disappointment or embarrassment caused her to require quite a bit of consoling before she was able to take her effective place in the game -- fortunately, the ball was down the other end most of this time. This is quite characteristic behaviour for this age of child, as they learn to cope with the disappointment of failure.
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This illustration might be rather extreme but it does demonstrate our affinity for dropping our heads when things don’t go well, for instance, in ball sports when a player fouls or gives away a free kick. We’ve all done it -- in our disappointment with ourselves or with the umpire or referee, dropped our head. The following quote beckons us to not fall for this momentary drop in focus.
This illustration might be rather extreme but it does demonstrate our affinity for dropping our heads when things don’t go well, for instance, in ball sports when a player fouls or gives away a free kick. We’ve all done it -- in our disappointment with ourselves or with the umpire or referee, dropped our head. The following quote beckons us to not fall for this momentary drop in focus.
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“The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.”
“The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.”
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-Robert G. Ingersoll
-Robert G. Ingersoll
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Momentary defeat brings with it embarrassment, pain, disappointment, or anger with an outcome we didn’t expect, or we don’t want to deal with. We suddenly react in our ‘wounded child’ state and it does us, and our situation, no good. In the sporting analogy above, we can see the other team charging toward the touch / goal line as we wallow in the self-pity of our sorrows.
Momentary defeat brings with it embarrassment, pain, disappointment, or anger with an outcome we didn’t expect, or we don’t want to deal with. We suddenly react in our ‘wounded child’ state and it does us, and our situation, no good. In the sporting analogy above, we can see the other team charging toward the touch / goal line as we wallow in the self-pity of our sorrows.
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It may be difficult to learn, but training ourselves to not momentarily quit is a very worthwhile activity. And it is about training. It’s a habit. It’s about complaining less and getting on with the task at hand. It’s accepting the status quo no matter how unjust and choosing to move on. It’s faith. Faith like this is personified courage as Ingersoll has purported in his quote.
It may be difficult to learn, but training ourselves to not momentarily quit is a very worthwhile activity. And it is about training. It’s a habit. It’s about complaining less and getting on with the task at hand. It’s accepting the status quo no matter how unjust and choosing to move on. It’s faith. Faith like this is personified courage as Ingersoll has purported in his quote.
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There is no reason to lose heart and give up momentarily. In fact, the person who successfully rebounds from defeat straight away is an inspiration to all around him or her. It inspires others to learn the same habit. That can only be a good thing. Also, we never know what we might ‘win’ when we don’t give up. Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare?
There is no reason to lose heart and give up momentarily. In fact, the person who successfully rebounds from defeat straight away is an inspiration to all around him or her. It inspires others to learn the same habit. That can only be a good thing. Also, we never know what we might ‘win’ when we don’t give up. Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare?
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Copyright © 2008, S.J. Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Copyright © 2008, S.J. Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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