"That's how winning is done"

Weather here over the last few days has been downright miserable, but no sense in worrying about it or complaining - it doesn't change anything. Things have gotten better since I had to pick myself back up this week. Some times it is harder than others to do that, but we know we have to in order to move forward. The quote above is from a "Rocky" movie - yes, another Rocky comment. We can blame my Rocky. In part of the theme song, Rocky comes on to say, "It is not how hard you get hit, but how how you can get hit and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done." I am not one to just give up and quit. Even when I was younger, my dad tried to use reverse psychology and say, "Quit feeling sorry for yourself. Just quit then." I never wanted to quit at anything because then I would feel that whatever I had failed at had won. I don't handle that too well. I want to feel successful at just about everything I try and do. Regardless of how much time I practice it, I expect to play golf like the pros, even though it might have been a year (or longer) since I picked up a club. I am very competitive, but not against others. Against myself. Although, my expectations are lowered since having kids and I have noticed that they are (at times) just as competitive as I was when I was their age. How many of us are better at preaching about what we should do, but sometimes forget to practice it? My hand went up, did yours? Winning isn't always about there being a winner and thus, a loser. It is about being better than you were, so when we get knocked down, we have to get back up and keep trying. Over the weekend, my husband and I were flipping through the channels and found the X-Games for the para skiers. These guys have no movement in their legs and some have no legs at all. I think I overheard one announcer say this one skier lost his legs due to an IED over in Afghanistan or Iraq. Was he sitting at home, eating Cheetos and being lazy? No, this guy is out there competing with other men who sit on a specially formulated seat with one ski in a race. Now, I cannot ski to save my life - I don't like the feeling of being out of control, so I am really the Queen of the snow plow. I was truly humbled in watching these men and think of them as I type this post. They have been hit hard by circumstances that literally changed their lives and knocked them back, but they keep moving forward. Those are the kinds of attitudes and humbling sights that will ALWAYS motivate me to give my best. Even if I don't win. There is an old saying that comes to mind, "A winner never quits and a quitter never wins." Be winners today and even when you think you have less to give or don't measure up, there is always someone out there that has less than you do and is making more use of that than you are. Stay warm and safe.