Redefining What It Means to be a CHAMPION

(Author's Note - This article was initially written two years ago but I felt compelled to resurrect it with minor enhancements)

Despite what my (and perhaps others') social media posts might indicate, I personally have to admit something – I am not the man I'd fully like to be.

As someone who likes to portray that I have it all together, it is an uncomfortable thing to admit, but after experiencing the biggest medical challenge I've ever faced, issues with family members, and just plain ole’ mental fatigue, I am not the man I'd like to be.

I also think that at some level, each one of us has felt the stress and anxiety of a world in turmoil, and wondered where we are going next.

A recent wellness survey proves this out, noting: An overwhelming majority of people in the United States think the country is experiencing a mental health crisis. According to a new survey in partnership with the Kaiser Family Foundation, nine out of 10 adults said they believe there is a mental health crisis in the US today. More than half identified mental health issues among children and teenagers as a crisis, as well as severe mental illness in adults.

Suddenly, all of us who thought we were okay, and would never need the help and support of others, find ourselves out-of-sync with the lives we used to know.

As someone who works with highly successful individuals and organizations across the sports and business world, it is as if a bomb dropped.

My current circumstances have given me pause, and time to reflect on my life, what I do, and what it really means to Change Like a Champion.

Standard definitions of a Champion include:

? A person that wins first place or prize in a competition

? A person that is clearly superior with the attributes of a winner

? An ardent defender or supporter of a cause or another person

All of these descriptions still ring true and I consider myself fortunate that many people I call friends fall under these definitions of champion, yet there is now another facet of championship behavior that must be included. This is the knowledge and acceptance that things may not be okay right now, but I am willing to plan, persevere, and set a course for improvement – everyday.

Winning does not happen by accident. All of us possess the ability to change on purpose, for a purpose. The very act of identifying our faults or weaknesses, while being open to finding a new way to live, demonstrates that everyone has the capacity to Change Like a Champion.

Now, more than ever, we as a culture need to demonstrate a willingness to help others, wherever they are in their lives, to rise above their current situation in an effort to feel and be better.

As my friend Doug Smith has stated after overcoming overwhelming trauma, "It is not all about being the best in the world, it is about being the best FOR the world.

Being your best self.

Legendary basketball coach, John Wooden, who amassed ten national championships during a twelve-year period, did not build his program based on striving to be the best in the world, but by being your best self.

Being the best you is a goal we can all help and support each other to achieve, incrementally, on a day-to-day basis. It is okay, not to be okay. If you need help, ask for it. If you can help, then do so.

This is a great place to start if you’re looking to improve your company’s work culture.

As a good friend of mine likes to say, “The Tide Lifts All Boats,” and when it comes to any organization it is better to move one thousand people one foot, than to have one-person move one thousand feet.

Winning does not happen by accident and each of us have a unique purpose for which we've been created.

For we may not be the person we once were, but we now have the opportunity to become the person we have always wanted to be – changing on purpose, for a purpose - like champions.