The Tiger Principle

Watching Tiger Woods win the US Open this past Monday reminded me of a very simple truth. Winners find a way to win!

Winners just have a way of sticking with it until they succeed. And sometimes winning means you have to be willing to risk losing. You have to accept the fact that by merely trying, you may fail. Others have before you. And still others have set the bar for success. It's the rare individual that sees the bar, realizes how high it is and STILL gives it everything he or she has.

Running the 100 yard dash in middle school, against all your peers and classmates, can be an intimidating task. What if, while EVERYONE in the free world is watching (well, at least grades 6-8), you are soundly defeated by the long-legged underclass girl in the sixth grade? Could you ever live that down? Would you be able to talk your parents into moving to Bangladesh or Nepal? Is facial reconstruction surgery a viable option? Did Michael Jackson lose one too many races? Should girls even be allowed to compete against boys? Are those PF Flyers that she is wearing? Or Chuck Taylors? Oh, brother! This is going to be tough.

Maybe the thing to do is not to TRY so hard. Or at least don't let everyone know that you're giving it everything you have. Goof around at the starting line. Tell everyone within earshot how very lame this is. Remind them that you've won this race for the last two years, that you're undefeated and that it really isn't a challenge anymore. It's tough to get yourself motivated when there is so little competition, you say. Or you could just put your head down, churn those arms and legs and find out for yourself just how fast you really are (or aren't).

Winners are often congratulated by everyone they meet. "I was pulling for you!" friends and co-workers will encourage repeatedly. "Sure am happy for you!" But most folks really don't WANT to see you win. Oh sure, you may hear the "go get 'em champ!" echo as you go out the door and down the hall. Yet as soon as that door closes, the real colors begin to show. "Who does he think he is? Does he believe the entire competitive world revolves around him? Trying to win yet again! How many successes does he need? There are more important things in life, I tell you! You don't always have to try to achieve your goals. Some of the other of us would like to win once in a while, too!"

Remember the scene in "Big," when John Lovitz' character calls over the cubicle to Tom Hanks and encourages him to "Slow down! Don't go so fast! You'll make us all look bad." People recognize strong effort immediately. And they don't want you to get ahead of them. So they will tell you to pace yourself. Don't wear yourself out! Or maybe, just maybe, they will suggest that you have risen above your capabilities. It's the Peter Principle, you know. Everyone will at some point rise above their ability to succeed. And you've just reached your limit, sir. Please turn off the lights on your way out. You realize you have zero chance of winning, don't you? I'm just sharing the truth with you in love.

It's the old crab bucket mentality. All the crabs in the container want their freedom, but only the ones on the top are close enough to achieve. Instead of letting them climb out, their peers are quick to say, "Nuh-uh, buddy! No you don't! Get your crab butt back in here with the rest of us! What? You think you're better than me? Ha! We'll see about that! You're nothing special! You'll never amount to anything. Get back in here!" And they do their best to yank the over-achieving dreamer with the wandering claws right back into the dismal bucket. Misery loves company. LOTS of company.

But winners find a way to win. They keep on trying to get out of that bucket! No matter what the circumstances, no matter how difficult the challenges, winners will keep on trying to win. No matter how many people grab them and try to pull them down, they just keep on keeping on. They won't point to excuses when they lose and they will never begrudge another competitor their victory. They recognize the winning effort and watching the celebration motivates them to try harder next time. It fuels their desire to be the best they can be. Nothing more, nothing less. Just they best that THEY can be.

There is a station in the good ol' US of A that has had supreme challenges over the past 12 months and yet they continue to find a way to win. Top-tier talent heading out the door to "greener pastures"? No problem, we'll just keep on winning. Financial challenges that would cause others to throw in the microphone-embroidered towel? No biggie! Just keep on winning. Physical limitations that might keep many from even competing, much less succeeding? That's not a hill too big to climb! Just put your head down, stride hard and keep on winning!

Tiger showed us that it is worth it to grit it out. No one would have thought less of him had he hobbled off the 15th tee on Saturday, "unable to finish." On the contrary, he would have exited to resounding applause. Sympathy and empathy would have flooded onto the cart path. Pats on the back, accompanied by screams of "get 'em next time, Tiger!" And of course, the infamous, "you are the man!" He would have limped off or been carried off into the clubhouse. Not beaten, just physically unable to finish the tournament. And then Rocco Mediate or some other competitor would have gone on to win. Pretty simple it would seem. He could have saved face very easily.

But he was more interested in saving par. He had a date with a couple of eagles and they wanted to soar together. Quitting wasn't why Tiger was competing. He wasn't looking for the convenient exit ramp. He was not interested in making sure he had a good excuse, in case he lost. He had set his eyes on winning. And a sore, recently repaired knee would not keep him from accomplishing his goal. Not if he could help it. In his words, "What is it, except pain?"

So what Major are YOU competing in this week? And what recent arthroscopic procedure is causing you discomfort? Maybe the entire nation isn't watching. And yet again, maybe they are. Maybe your "injury" isn't obvious and your "convalescence" is being questioned as genuine. But one thing is for certain. When you lay your head down on the pillow tonight, you alone will know whether or not you gave it your best. And whether you are following the Peter Principle or Tiger's, the choice is yours. And victory is, too. That is, if you want it badly enough. Are you willing to give it your all?

Excuse me, can I get another order of those fried crab claws? And some more dipping sauce, too, please.

Billy