For sports enthusiasts all over the world few things are as exciting as a playoff event. Having just recently watched the Super bowl of professional football it was in fact exciting to watch the underdog Green Bay Packers defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers. We love to see the professionals at anything perform at their best to produce unlikely outcomes. It could have gone either way. Being there in real-time, whether at the stadium or by television, to find out what happens is all part of the excitement.
To produce these outcomes NFL owners and coaches seek and hire the best talent. In many cases they are willing to pay a premium for this talent at which time the talent is expected to perform. We idolize these athletes. They are like the gladiators of ancient Rome. Boys and girls readily embrace them as role models. The same is true for most any other type of celebrity. Modern culture in the West idolizes and in some cases even worships the beautiful, the talented and the privileged. And so it has been for ages. Once the celebrity falls into misfortune and far too many do, their names can quickly become a by-word and once the media and gossip pages begin making jokes about them it’s all over. The “celeb” is traded in for a newer younger model who simply has a different “gag” than the last one.
Developing your skill sets is very important and necessary to build a better life and a better world however your talents can not be the epicenter of your person. Beauty fades, physical strength weakens over time and all glory is fleeting. In actuality talents are mere tools wrapped around the central core of your life.
"You can't lead men with talent. If you do they will compete with you. If you lead them with character they will respect you."
Character and integrity are gifts one gives themselves. This is true because in as much as hardships in life can challenge us morally, testing the metal of our character this is also true of fame and glory. Remaining constant and true to who you really are in either of these types of situations is in fact a test of your character.
In any competition the participants are competing with one another. In some cases this is both exciting and appropriate. Deeper than that however in life, combining our efforts in a co-operative group is required as we focus on the larger problems affecting our world. In situations like this competition is counter productive. To achieve such outcomes requires courage and leadership which flows from your character and not your talent. Creating a competition isolates and alienates us within the group and prevents progress. Such leadership requires open and honest communication and a heart to serve for the benefit of others.