The Many Faces of Victory

You have worked long and hard to hone your craft, whatever that craft may be. You have dedicated yourself to becoming the best you can be. Others have helped you, guided you, coached you, advised you, all with the goal to see you “elevate your game.”

Because you’ve become successful, you now find yourself in rarified air, being called the best of the best by those around you, and suddenly there is no room for anything less than perfection. There is no room for being human, or for being average, even for one day. Victory is only seen as conquering the field. There is no room for second place; that would be considered failure. Even in victory, the best of the best are asked to excel all the time, creating a sense of perceived invincibility.

And while victory is certainly attained in accomplishments, it is also seen in simply doing your best, whatever that may be. But, maybe, just maybe, victory is also saying “I can’t” when I can’t. Victory might be listening to your mind and body, tending to your mental health, rather than listening to the sometimes crushing expectations placed upon you.