My class is reading Antigone, the amazing Greek tragedy. One of the major themes in the play is "pride." Teenagers deal with so much in their lives, so I thought this would be an amazing topic for them to explore within the depths of their developing minds. The assignment was for them to discuss whether they believe "pride" was a good or bad thing, and I thought I would throw in my own opinion (since I am much older and wiser) before I read their comments.
Nancy Lopez, the amazing female golfer, who is married to the baseball legend, Ray Knight, has a unique look on pride in the sports world. She states, " A competitor will find a way to win. Competitors take bad breaks and use them to drive themselves just that much harder. Quitters take bad breaks and use them as reasons to give up. It's all a matter of pride." That just rendered me speechless for a few minutes. This quote drips with the truth of life.
I, myself, have never been a quitter, and I am trying to teach my own children the same concept. Sports is just one area, but it mimics life in the way of strength, tenacity, and willpower. If you quit one thing, it is so much easier to continue that downward spiral into the loser abyss. In Proverbs it discusses the fact that when Christians are knocked down, they continue to get back up and prosper....no matter how many times they fall. (Even though pride is considered one of the seven deadly sins...)
The lesson in pride is that when it is used to build character, it is a phenomenal attribute to possess. Too much pride can weaken anyone...just like greed, wrath, envy, and etc.
My question that I want you to ask yourself today is: "Am I a competitor or a quitter and what does that say about my character and to those around me?"
Carpe Diem,
Brandi
Nancy Lopez, the amazing female golfer, who is married to the baseball legend, Ray Knight, has a unique look on pride in the sports world. She states, " A competitor will find a way to win. Competitors take bad breaks and use them to drive themselves just that much harder. Quitters take bad breaks and use them as reasons to give up. It's all a matter of pride." That just rendered me speechless for a few minutes. This quote drips with the truth of life.
I, myself, have never been a quitter, and I am trying to teach my own children the same concept. Sports is just one area, but it mimics life in the way of strength, tenacity, and willpower. If you quit one thing, it is so much easier to continue that downward spiral into the loser abyss. In Proverbs it discusses the fact that when Christians are knocked down, they continue to get back up and prosper....no matter how many times they fall. (Even though pride is considered one of the seven deadly sins...)
The lesson in pride is that when it is used to build character, it is a phenomenal attribute to possess. Too much pride can weaken anyone...just like greed, wrath, envy, and etc.
My question that I want you to ask yourself today is: "Am I a competitor or a quitter and what does that say about my character and to those around me?"
Carpe Diem,
Brandi
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