The Fine Line

“Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18
I often struggle with the fine line between being egotistical and taking pride in the work I complete or the competitions I win.  There is a sense in which a good weightlifter is someone who takes great pride in winning and hates losing.  A great weightlifter is someone who will stop at nothing to win and takes pride in taking the top of the podium.  Great weightlifters walk with a little bit of a aura of entitlement.  However, there is a fine line and expecting to win and walking with the belief that nobody is better than you.
I find myself in this struggle often.  This is why I love great competitors like Caleb and Mike and Tim and Jose who consistently keep me in my place.  There is a fine line between believing you are good enough to win and believing nobody else is good enough to beat you.  The second a good weightlifter believes they are unbeatable is when humility smacks them in the face.  Close competitors prevent this from happening.
The fine line that must be walked is the difference in believing in yourself and at the same time respecting the hard work of your opponents.  Self-confidence is a powerful ally in the sport of weightlifting.  Over-confidence is a powerful enemy.
On a lighter note, I found the compliment to my “Masterpiece” post earlier last week.  The male version of the Dove:You’re More Beautiful Than You Think video.