"Athletic competition clearly defines the unique power of our attitude." Bart Starr

I like this quote. Athletics was a big part of my life growing up in rural Nova Scotia. My parents were small business entrepenuers and their lively hood was dependant on tide, weather and time.  They worked hard to provide us with everything a growing family needs.  There wasn't "much to do" as most kids from my hamlet would say. For my siblings and I, we helped around the house, had chores and I think I had my first "job" at 11 years old. I learned the value of hard work early and that when the going gets tough, you gotta put a grin on your face and stick with, the rewards are well worth the effort.
In grade 6 I played badminton with my school team. I enjoyed the experience, so when I was approached at the beginning of my grade 7 year to play on my high school's soccer team, I was intrigued. My school was tiny, so in order to enter a sports team into the league, students from grade 7-12 played on the high school teams. I didn't know much about sports up to that point. Neither of my parents played any sports, as I am sure their childhood was much like mine had been up to that point.
I was hooked! We would practice, work hard, get beat in games, learn a lesson, practice our skills, challenge our limits, win a game, do drills to improve weaknesses. It wasn't easy, but I was enjoying the process.
In the early years of playing on my high school team we didn't place well in the standings. My tiny high school had never brought home a championship banner in any female sport. By the time I was in grade 10, we were winning more and more. Other teams in our league started to see us as a close rival.
Fast forward to my grade 12 year, I had been playing on the school soccer, basketball and badminton teams for 6/7 years now! We had great teams and that year we brought home our school's very first regional as well as provincial soccer championship! Four months later we also brought home the provincial basketball championship banner.
The point of this story is, had I gotten "bored" with the sports or frustrated or given up when we got knocked down I would have missed out on 6 years of working towards something so rewarding that I can't even put it into words.
For me, definitely athletic competition defines the unique power of our attitude, because it was and still is a big part of my life. But, this can also apply to other aspects of our lives. If you set out a goal for yourself, are you going to give up when things don't go your way? Whether you are working towards a promotion, an athletic goal, weight loss or saving money for a purchase, you will be faced with obstacles that will challenge your dedication. Have a GREAT ATTITUDE, a realistic outlook, and know that what you are working towards takes time and that once it's acheived you've earned it and that reward will always be yours!