I like the phrase “The look of determination.”
There are books and movies in my small collection about people who chose to face a great challenge. We all enjoy watching these people win. There are far fewer publications about tragic loss. But it’s the devastation of loss that makes a win meaningful.
Ordinary people have these experiences. Stories about other’s success and failure can help us reflect about our own. Maybe the reason there are fewer stories about failure is because we don’t enjoy reflecting on our own. The trick is to fail without becoming a victim.
Some challenges occur over long periods of time. Mark Gardner writes of the year he did nothing but prepare for a single motorcycle race. People know about the day Lindbergh flew from New York to Paris. But few know about the years he spent preparing. I find the preparation more interesting than the event.
Melissa Holbrook Pierson writes about buying a motorcycle and then learning to ride it. She not only learns to ride, but she learns how to cope with situations where things break. I like her story about standing on the shoulder of a country road and seeing a bottle cap in the gravel. She picks it up and puts it in her pocket because she knows that scrap might be useful in fixing something somewhere down the road. I’ve picked up a lot of “bottle caps.”
Not being competitive in nature, my wins are mostly from achieving goals I set for myself. I admit I’ve felt pleasure from being “better” than someone else. It’s something I’m not proud about. Racing against myself is a safer place for me.
It makes good theater when someone puts on their game face and steps into the arena. It’s the look of determination that makes the effort seem relevant.
For me, not being competitive, being relevant is the whole point.