Eye Of The Tiger

Michael Jordan once said, ~I just feel that my competitive drive is far greater than anyone else that I've met and I think that I thrive on that I think that is my biggest motivation in life...to completely find different competitions in certain things in life and try to overcome that, be it positive or negative.~ We all have, whether you want to admit it or not, have that competitive spirit/drive inside to where you don't like to lose at certain things. Depending on the level of one's competitiveness, experiencing loss or defeat can sting to the point where it can stay with you for a short or long period of time. For it can not only affect adults, but it can also affect kids as well.

Without a doubt kids have that competitive drive especially when its against each other. Younger kids, more so than older kids, tend to have that competitive drive which can be switched on and off like a light switch. We've all witnessed kids play/create fun and/or interesting games at the spur of the moment to where the rules, that oftentimes are made up, can be changed at any moment. For it when they are losing at that particular game the rules either change to suit their advantage or quit and play a completely different game. Hey, its what each and every one of us did back in the day and even though it was what your friends made, they still were your friends at the end of the day...most of the time.

When it comes to competition between kids and adults the results can be taken personally not by the kids but by the adults. As an adult, our ego and pride can take a big hit when one goes head to knee with someone who can't stay up past 8.p.m. As I said, nobody likes to lose and when you lose to a kid it can be a humbling experience as you not only have to endure the gloating from him or her, but also endure biting your tongue so that you do not say something you may regret or get fired. Of course, if the situation were reversed the gloating would be reciprocated back, which I have done plenty of times to kids at the asylum and I don't apologize for doing it.

Essentially, the will to win is something that all adults want to achieve as it is a competitive out in the real world. Whether it's business, academics, sports, etc. a person will be in competition in some kind of way, shape, or form with someone or something. For it truly is a dog eat dog world as you want to be the best at what you do despite all the obstacles one may face. One such name that comes to mind that personifies competitive drive while faced with obstacles is Lance Armstrong. Facing cancer and critics, he beat both to not win 7 Tour De Frances but he also beat the critics who accused him of using performance enhancing drugs to win, which he did not.

As we all know July 4th is just a few days away and there will be competitions galore in celebration of it. One of those competitions is the annual 4th of July Hot Dog eating contest, which has been won by, in the past 5 years mind you, by Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi. For he owns the world record in 2004 for scarfing down 53 1/2 hot dogs and let me tell you something I get full after eating only 3 of them. For the question has to be asked, will Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi continue his win streak this 4th of July? In the end, it's just a matter of having that one thing which when you see it you know that the competition is on and that is the eye of the tiger.