The Goal Is the Echo

 

We want our kids to hate losing.

Not wanting to lose is what keeps you fighting.

God set us up to win, so we refuse to accept defeat.

We are competitive because generations of lives are at stake.

 

“It’s not about having to win, it’s about hating losing.”

“Have you ever met a good leader who isn’t competitive?”

– Brian Houston

 

We are building leaders.

Leadership is not a genetic trait. It is not hereditary. No one is born with an inherent skill to lead. Leadership is learned. Leadership is taught. Leadership is embraced. Leadership is sustained. Vince Lombardi said, ‘Leaders aren’t born, they’re made. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.’

We are working hard at creating a culture of leadership in our home. A huge part of leadership is being competitive. Competitive against complacency, against being average, against injustice. So we speak it often. We KNOW it is getting old to them. We KNOW that the more we say it, the more likely we’ll encounter an eye roll or two. We KNOW that sometimes it is frustrating to hear. We KNOW kids, we KNOW…

But here it is again:

 

• Work your hardest, then work harder.
• Don’t ever quit. Quitting isn’t an option. (Best example: Jesus)
• Pain is weakness leaving the body. It’s gonna hurt. Fight through. One, two, three, four United States Marine Corps!!
• No one ever said it would be easy. Roosevelt stated: “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.”
• With great power comes great responsibility. Use it wisely. (Shout out to Uncle Ben and Voltaire.)
• Discipline. You have to train yourself – body and mind – to keep going and keep growing even when you don’t want to.
• Lead by example. Don’t just talk about, live it.
• Do what is right. Look out for the little guy. Encourage the weak and weary. Give what you can. Integrity matters.
• You CAN do it. Convince your mind and everything else will follow.
• Be great. Always. Because you are.

 

We want our children to be competitive. We want our children to hate losing. We want our children (and their children and their children’s children) to be great leaders. This world needs great leaders. It needs leaders who are not afraid to cultivate even better leaders. Leadership is never about self-influence, power, or gain. Leadership is staying the course and clearing it for others.

So we tell them these things. Over and over and over until they are sick of hearing it and then we’ll say it again like a delayed echo. The goal is for our children to hear our voices now, so that when we are gone, they will still hear the echo.

 

We’re not waging war against enemies of flesh and blood alone. No, this fight is against tyrants, against authorities, against supernatural powers and demon princes that slither in the darkness of this world, and against wicked spiritual armies that lurk about in heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:12