“We are the champions! No time for losers
‘cause we are the champions, of the world”
–We are the Champions, by Queen
Who do you consider a champion? What are the traits of that person?
My initial idea of a champion is someone in the sports arena. Someone who: sets outrageous goals and aims high, sacrifices to achieve those goals, learns lessons from losses, focuses on continuous improvement, stretches beyond their comfort zone to get to the top, and never quits. They have an attitude of I can versus I can’t.
What I’ve learned lately is that the word “champion” is not reserved just for athletic achievers. Over this last week, in writing this blog, I noticed the extraordinary, everyday champion accomplishments of my inner circle.
- My client who is battling cancer, strides into a corporate meeting with a fashionable hat to keep her bald head warm and holds her head high like a champion.
- My hairdresser, a single mom with a special-needs child and sickly elderly mother, runs her own business, taking special care to make each client feel appreciated, beautiful, and special—like a champion.
- My lifelong girlfriend who cares for her adult daughter with MS and her husband with cancer; comforts her sister, who is grieving the loss of her husband; and works full-time in a high-level corporate position (she just received the “Superstar” designation from her company for outstanding performance), lives her life like a champion.
- My husband puts in 10 hours of hard labor as a carpenter, then takes the ham or turkey he cooked the night before to the soup kitchen to feed the homeless—like a champion.
Think of all the people you know, who are not famous or athletes, but who live their lives like champions. Be sure to let them know that you admire them because they may not recognize it in themselves.
Most of us do not give ourselves credit for the times in our lives when we’ve been a champion. You may not have stepped up on a podium to receive a trophy or medal, but it’s important to acknowledge that you step up to life’s challenges, go above and beyond, and do the best you can.
Celebrate the champion’s attitude. Notice and appreciate the everyday acts of heroism you do without thinking, that you would notice in someone else. As my speaker colleague says, “Treat yourself with the same compassion that you would a close friend.”
“I’ve paid my dues
Time after time
I’ve done my sentence
But committed no crime
And bad mistakes
I’ve made a few
I’ve had my share of sand kicked in my face
But I’ve come through…”
So, uplift yourself and sing along to “no time for losers, we are champions, of the world.” Take a listen: https://bit.ly/2Q23Hax
About Lynn
After not singing for 35 years – in a moment of madness – I answered an ad to be a singer in a Rock’n’Roll band… and got the gig. I share my story about how stepping out of my comfort zone and getting a little outrageous has changed my life.
I want everyone I reach to experience the same transformation through the “GoGaGaTM” process I’ve developed to help attendees Unleash their “Inner Superstar” and realize that it’s never too late to bust through their fears to perform at levels they never thought possible. My talk takes people from “I can’t” to “I can” in 45 to 60 minutes – with my special brand of entertainment with a message. Click here to download my speaker one-sheet, and book me for your next event.