After two weeks of top-grade entertainment sports, capped by the most exciting hockey game I have ever seen, the Olympics has closed down its flame and handed the Olympic flag to the Russians.
The glum faces of Team USA impressed me as they were receiving their silver medals. Each of them looked like they would never play hockey again. Later, during the closing ceremonies, they seemed in better mood, but the initial letdown of losing after trying so hard showed on their faces.
Looking on without the emotional involvement of the practices and playing six intense games in 13 days, I could idealistically ask why they were so glum when they had proven they were the second best hockey team in the world.
And I get stuck on the words, “second best.”
Team USA did not want second best, they wanted “best.” In preliminary play, they actually beat Team Canada, and so they thought they could actually do it. And they did come within an inch of achieving that goal.
Team Canada had them down by two goals, when Team USA scored their first goal twelve minutes into the second period, and the tying goal with 25 seconds left in regulation play.
Needless to say, that’s when emotions peaked.
Going into overtime with four skaters and a goaltender playing “sudden death” their nerves must have been like violin strings – can’t make a mistake …
But fortune went to Team Canada, when their player found the puck almost unexpectedly near his stick, and in his own words, I just hit it in the direction of the net. And it went in.
Make no mistake; the win could have gone either way.
Neither team was second best. They were each at their personal best. Team USA played as well as Team Canada, but opportunity came first to the Canadian team.
And therein lies the lesson for us. Life is like that.
We prepare to the best of our ability for an event, a job or career. We perform our personal best, but someone else is a razor-thin line better or seizes an opportunity and they win the job, the place first in line, and we are “second best.” We feel the disappointment intensely.
But winners pick themselves up, improve their skills and move on to the next opportunity.
Winners are never “second best” except in a particular circumstance or event. They will never be “second best” in their own minds.
They are “best” somewhere, and often in many places, and they continue to practice and play the game until the world sees that they are the “best” as well.
Let’s make it personal for ourselves. Let’s never settle for “second best.
Live a vital life.
