I am a little bit of a sports fan. I like watching competition and participating in it. That’s why in 2015 there was a story that caught my attention on ESPN. Here is a link to the story.
In short a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers took his sons trophies away from them because they were “participation” trophies and in his on words unearned. In fairness to the linebacker I want to mention that he gave the trophies back and by almost everyone who knows him is a really fun and great dad.
The idea of earning or deserving has always bugged me, like a lot! I truly do not think any one has earned anything. The more I consider what it means to earn. One definition of Earn is “gain deservedly in return for one’s behavior or achievements”.
The biggest thing that bugs me about the concept of earn or deserve is that it implies that someone did something in a vacuum and no one has ever done anything in a vacuum. The myth of self made is toxic and a poison that has been and is being feed to us and our children. Bottom line is that no one ever gets what they deserve and everyone is being helped by someone somewhere at all times.
Take the trophies be kind, grateful, compassionate, loving and competitive beings who understands that no one is better than or worse than anyone else.
The Corrigan Encore 