In the book Top Dog,
Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman summarize a plethora of studies demonstrating
the importance of having a reasonable, “fighting chance” of winning in order to
function at peak performance levels. Being
in the “right league” – with well-matched cohorts and legitimately achievable
goals – and having a support team cheering you on help immensely – and
measurably.*
A “fighting chance” is all one can ask in any circumstance:
Joshua was only 3 months old and
failing to thrive when he and his brother were removed from untenable living
conditions and transferred to foster care. Within two weeks, he
developed labored breathing to a point that the foster parents had to take him
to the emergency room. Despite the best care a tertiary medical center
could offer, Joshua’s condition worsened and they had to put him in the
pediatric ICU – basically in an “iron lung” with high pressure oxygen and tubes
everywhere for feeding, medication, testing and monitoring purposes.
During this process, Joshua’s “real” parents were notified of the crisis and
visited the ICU but had to be removed after a few minutes. Both were
heavy smokers and Joshua’s condition had notably worsened in their
presence. As hours wore into days, Joshua’s condition waxed and waned
without rhyme or reason. Speculative diagnoses could not be confirmed by
definitive testing. Yet here was a fighter, fighting with every ounce of
energy he could muster. Of course, he had no choice. Or did he?
In fact, under heavy medication he could simply have “laid down arms” and
placed himself at the mercy of the docs and nurses. But it was not in him not to take as much charge of his own welfare as was IN him.
All the parents and foster parents could do was hope and pray he could have a
“fighting chance”.
What would YOU do with a “fighting chance”?
How much of a “fighter” are you? What is “IN”
you? What is NOT “in” you? In whose “charge” are you placing your
own welfare? And how sustainable is that?
Sometimes folks don’t awaken from a stupefying cloud of
unfounded assumptions, unrealistic expectations, contrived entitlements and
gross misrepresentations until faced with dire circumstances. Adlai
Stevenson observed:
“Man is a
curious creature: He can’t read the handwriting on the wall until his back is
up against it.”
Then we try to bargain with the Almighty, pledging to
straighten up and fly right just as soon as the dire circumstances
disappear.
What if we just went ahead and straightened up and flew
right from the beginning – on our own account – for our own welfare – well
before our backs are up against a wall? Isn’t that what we’re expected to
do? Only what we are CAPABLE of doing – nothing more, but every bit of what
we’re capable of doing. What if we gave ourselves a decent “fighting
chance” to become all that we could be?
Garrison Keillor,
Prairie Home Companion
The really toughest part about life – especially when we’re
not in crisis – is deciding where to draw the line between knocking ourselves
out – including sacrificing a lot of indulgences – and merely muddling through
… taking whatever Fate throws at us. The
spoils of victory go to those who “knock themselves out” with every “fighting
chance” they’ve got. The rest of us have
to live with our sorry selves and our sorry circumstances for the duration.
* * * * * * * * * * *
* *
*Unfortunately, some would-be competitors crumble at the
first inkling of competition, even with a level-playing-field and substantial
support. However, the really topmost
performers are different. They seem to
be able to respond to the most stringent circumstances in the biggest leagues,
facing the biggest challenges with a consistent, all-out effort without goading
or gilding. Some in this group are
ingrained with the idea that failure is not an option. A fragment of this cohort considers each
challenge a life-or-death matter; they cease to exist – at least in the manner
to which they already have or would like to become accustomed – if they don’t
“make it”.
Life-or-death circumstances – whether real or contrived –
are extremely effective at drawing out peak performance – extracting the last
full measure of whatever is “in” us. Making
it through with all that’s in you is a life and death matter. Live as if you really meant to. And, wherever Destiny beckons, die
trying! Quartermaster
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