By Helen Vollmer, President, Edelman Southwest
“February is always a bad month for TV sports. Football is gone, basketball is plodding along in the annual midseason doldrums, and baseball is not even mentioned.”
-- Hunter S. Thompson
Usually, I think Hunter S. Thompson was spot on in his observations but clearly he didn’t write the above during an Olympics year. So, with the Super Bowl thankfully behind us, I greet February with high hopes of drama on the slopes, the ice rink and at the security stations. What in the world will Matt Lauer be wearing each day? And will JR Celski really be able to brilliantly continue the U.S. speed skating legacies of Apolo Ohno and Eric Heiden?
The Olympics serve to remind us that competition is a driver in all aspects of our lives. Competition, essentially a contest for territory, resources, notoriety or social status, allows us to push ourselves and to raise our own standards even if fleetingly. And to remember that sometimes it’s best to surround ourselves with talent greater than our own, so we can keep learning and growing as individuals.
Research published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (I promise this journal is not on my nightstand) and reported on by Psychology Today suggests that the ability of an athlete to pull through victoriously in head-to-head competition really is an issue of “mind over matter.” For all of us, mental motivation really can manifest itself in winning, whether that’s a new piece of business, an athletic event or getting into the college of your choice.
So here’s to the champion in each of us. Whether you’re in the middle of a competition and going for the gold, or cheering from the sidelines in the glow of your iPad, sometimes the greatest reward is simply a sense of pride and belonging.
Catch you in March when we’re planning to “show up differently” with a new take on eVolution and as things heat up at SXSW. Trust you’ll be with us to enjoy.
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