It’s
U.S. Open time again. The annual Grand Slam event in Flushing Meadows is always
one of my favorite events in sports. This is also my favorite time of year for
other reasons: college football season, NFL kickoffs and baseball post-season
are all about to begin. It is the optimum season for sports fans. One
commentator noted during the U.S. Open how Venus Williams is graceful in
defeat. This prompted my thinking about character. Have you ever heard the
phrase, “Character is who you are when no one is looking”? Venus had thousands
of eyes on her the other night when she lost an early round match on the
grandest stage in tennis. I think it’s easier to be graceful during those
moments. It’s easier to accept defeat when you are critiqued in the spotlight.
What about when no one is watching? Who are you in those moments?
I
have had to step back into myself, into the core of who I am, this week. It
seems to me that no matter what happens, I know I am not defeated…and I wonder
when this realization occurred. I don’t remember always being of this mindset.
As a tennis player, I remember accepting defeat with a certain grace. It hasn’t
always been that way outside the baseline. Recent events have thrust me to into
trusting my instincts more and attaining a better grip on acceptance, forgiveness
and thankfulness (even in defeat). I have been defeated many times in tennis.
Tennis has been my anchor in shaping how I handle defeat. I credit the sport
with giving me an advantage in personal relationships, in hardships. Sports build character.
Character
is not something you can fake. You either are or you aren’t a person with good
character. I don’t think there is a middle ground. You cannot say one thing and
do another when no one is looking. You cannot lead someone in one direction and
strand them without notice. A person’s character can never be defeated, even in
defeat. Strong character will deliver you from bitterness. It will provide your grace in defeat.
