Missing the mark. Is your glass half empty or half full?

I've missed the speed skating. In fact, I've missed the last 7 Olympic competition days. Tonight I tuned into the mens figure skating and was reminded of how much I have enjoyed the Olympics in times past. I now resolve to watch more attentively for the next week.

I do have my reservations. My little heart is just a little crushed. I am disappointed on behalf of the athletes who just barely miss the mark. I think competition is healthy and can be the making of many. Even in the making, my instinct is to buffer, to soothe, even shield. I am helpless as a spectator, although those noise makers at basketball games are slightly deceiving-I almost believe they could distract a professional athlete from making a free throw. My head tells me to be a little braver but my heart says enough is enough. Sheesh.

This is a very real thing for me. I shy away from it all. It screams out "lesson on character building" or "what is integrity?" even "what does this say about you?" and then of course, "what can you learn from this?" Still, I shy away.

I've contemplated various reasons why I do shy away. I have two left feet. My attention span is short. I don't have enough will power? Maybe if I was more.... . It must be a defect in my character. But my friends, it's not so much any of those things! I just think it's not for me. Surely if I had a mind to compete, I would find a way to compensate or overcome those set backs.

Perhaps there are those who are made for competing and those who are not. Those who compete are some of my heroes. They bless my life on and off the court. For those of us who do not compete, I hope we are both confident and willing to cheer our friends on. I hope they know how much we need them and love them. I hope too that we all learn to play various roles, to step up to the plate when it's our turn and to cheer our teammates on when they are victorious.