A different reality

In the process of watching the Reno Tournament of Champions I started thinking about a new concept of winning wrestlers.  I always hear “this person” needs more technique, strength, speed, or etc. the list could really go on forever.  As I am watching match after match of unmotivated apathetic competitor* I started thinking about what made me successful.  The one thought that kept coming back to my head was effort, and when I was watching matches I didn’t see one match where I thought ‘damn that guy really gave everything he had.’   The kind of feeling I get when I watch Jordan Burroughs double leg someone fourteen times in a match (note the success he has had.)  If you want to see another recent example of a guy who really wanted to win watch Zach Sanders in the All-Star classic (also note the early successes he has had.)   

I would be surprised if I was the first person to ever realize the difference between the highly successful athletes’ effort and that of the not so successful.  SO why is this topic not talked about more?  One major reason is because it is hard to question a persons’ motivation.  What is inside of their head is impossible for the outside world to see.  Other than that I am not really sure.  I started think what would make one wrestler put forth more effort than another and the answer that kept hitting was because they care, it is important to them.  I know this is not an amazing conclusion. 

Why did I care so much about winning and losing?  Think about a wolf who is chasing his prey, starving to death, how hard is he going to chase?  You better believe it is with everything he has inside of him.  This is the kind of reality I created for myself when I wrestled.  I was never in danger of losing anything serious or being barred from the family or killed because I lost a wrestling match.  So in reality had I lost more wrestling matches nothing in my life would have really changed that much, my family would still be my family, my friends would still be my friends, I would still have a roof over my head and three delicious meals a day.      

Now back to a different reality, the reality I created for myself in wrestling.  Besides having three close friends die too early in life I have felt no greater disappointment and sorrow in life than losing wrestling matches.  I can’t say I have ever achieved the same euphoric feeling as when I won my first state title, national title and when I made my first Olympic team.  Most days of my life I have had nothing more important to think about than how I was going to become a great wrestler.  Maybe you can say I am lucky to have had such an easy life, but I would venture to guess there are many other highly successful wrestlers would have had the same experience as me. 

Have you created a different reality? 

*Post Script- After writing this I realized that I forgot about the first round comeback of Frank Molinaro. He was down 10-4 in the second period and came back to win. He gave the performance of a man who really didn't want to lose, congrats Frank.