Giving it Your All...And Coming Up Short

One of the greatest draws America has in luring outsiders to live here is the American Dream. To put it simply, the idea that anyone can make it big with a little hard work and a dream. This is all very nice, and there are some examples of people coming over and making something of themselves, but what about the rest of us? Those people who have the heart and the intensity and the desire/work ethic, but still come up a bit short?

Unfortunately, the American Dream does not take into account skill and intelligence. Two very big factors in determining one's success.

I think this is best personified by sports. In sports, there are clear winners and losers. The winners play for championships and the losers go home for the offseason. Who wins? Well, the team with the most talent and the team who plays the best together as a team with this talent. People always say that a team plays with heart when they are winning (see: 2004 New England Patriots), but does this mean that the teams who did not win did not play with heart? Are this year's San Francisco 49ers not playing all out and giving it their best? I think they are, they just aren't as talented as their competition. They could play with all the heart and intensity in the world, but the Colts would still beat them no matter how lackadaisical they played. They are just a better team.

I just finished seasons with two IM hockey teams that have so much heart and desire to win that it makes all the other teams look like they don't even care. I can guarantee you that we wanted to win more than anyone we faced this season, and that we always left everything we had on the floor each and every game. Our men's team even defeated the defending champions in a game that you really had to see to believe. We wanted it more and went out and got it. In the end, both teams had semi-final games in the playoffs; and both teams were defeated by more talented teams. Did we lose our heart in these game? I think not. We all played with intensity and a desire to make this last season one to remember. But, once again, talent trumped heart, and we were sent packing without an IM championship.

And in the end talent will always prevail. There may be certain instances where desire and heart can overcome a superior opponent (see: Swarming Locusts vs. Collective Bargaining Agreements, 2005 IM Floor Hockey), but in the end the more talented teams and individuals tend to end up on top. This is why a player like Terrell Owens continues to find work. While he doesn't care about anyone but himself and is a self centered jerk, he is very very good and can lead teams to Super Bowls (see: 2004 Philadelphia Eagles). He has no heart, but Greg Lewis isn't going to deliver any championships.

After all of this, I get to the question I wanted to answer tonight: why would anyone like me, who doesn't have freakish talent or a special gift with anything, even try to get ahead or win a championship? Why would someone with less talent even try to win something if they know they are outclassed? If talent trumps heart, why does anyone even show heart anymore?

The answer to this is difficult to pin down, as it probably differs from person to person. From my experience, however, you keep trying and perservering in the hopes that you can break through. By continuing to press, you will undoubtedly get better. A team with less talent will gel as a unit and play well with one another. And, throughout all of this, there is always the hope that this could be the year, or the time, for you. That this time, with all the hard work you have put in, you will win that championship or get that big promotion. People with heart try because they believe in themselves and believe that their hard work will pay off. That is what heart is. And even if you fail, you know you did everything you could to try and succeed, and that you can take pride in that. I can look myself in the mirror after tonight's lossed and know that I gave everything I had to my teammates. I did all I c0uld to help them win. And even if tonight was our last game and it ended in defeat, we had a damn fun time getting there.

And that is the key, being able to take pride in what you have done...even if someone else can do it better than you. If you can take pride in yourself, you can be happy...regardless of what happens. My hockey teams may have both lost tonight, but it isn't a total loss. I got to hang out with my friends every week, run around and get some exercise, and I know that I gave my teammates everything I had. I can take pride in this. I think everyone on our teams can. And that is why people continue to show heart and perservere and work hard. So they can answer to themselves.

Cuz seriously, if you can't even look at yourself in the mirror, who else will want to look at you?