The Fire Within

While I'm not one to believe that life is about winning and losing, there is something to be said about competition and battling. Perhaps that is why I enjoyed playing sports growing up, there was a desire to be a part of playing on a team and winning. It was a great feeling to win, but often it was as rewarding to play well together as a team, win or lose. I have a job now and a family, doesn't leave a lot of time for sports, but I can still see that competitive spirit in me. I think there is a reason that some of my favorite movies are Gladiator, Braveheart and Lord of the Rings. The epic battles with strategy, heart, and the hero, rallying their army to fight for what is right. Even one of my favorite passages in the Bible, Ephesians 6:10-17, speaks to putting on the armor of God, to be His warrior. That carries over for me into my work. Too often people just go through the motions of life, going to work to simply collect a pay check. I want there to be something more.

Kenny Bell, a wide receiver for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team had one of the greatest quotes I can remember hearing in some time in a recent post game press conference. "I would play for Bo Pelini against Satan himself and a team of demons at the gates of the underworld." You can read the full transcript at The Omaha World Harold . A little background is that there is a lot of heat on the head coach and some fans want him fired, like any portion of a crazed fan base seems to want these days, regardless of record or any other sensible measure. So of course after a tough loss the question these kids of course are asked is what they think of their coach, and the quote above was part of Kenny Bell's reaction. What intrigues me so much is wondering how many people feel that way about their coach/manager/leader. We all have someone that we are accountable to, do they stir that commitment and passion inside of you to the point that you would follow them anywhere?