Who's your cheerleader?
Did you know that "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" was not originally coined by Muhammad Ali? Those were words by Ali's cornerman, Bundini Brown, encouraging his boss from ringside. If you're familiar with boxing, you'll realize every boxer definitely needs a cornerman who encourages him when the punches of his opponent begin to rain hail and fire on him. With swollen lips, and etched, bleeding eyelids, a voice of encouragement sure is a welcome nudge that it's not over. That is the power of cheerleading.
Organized cheerleading began as an all-male activity. As early as 1877, Princeton University had a "Princeton Cheer", documented in the February 22, 1877, March 12, 1880, and November 4, 1881, issues of The Daily Princetonian. This cheer was yelled from the stands by students attending games, as well as by the athletes themselves. The cheer, "Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah! Tiger! S-s-s-t! Boom! A-h-h-h!" remains in use with slight modifications today, where it is now referred to as the "Locomotive". Thanks to Wikipedia for the history and background on cheerleading.
As a teenager growing up in Africa, I never really understood the role of cheerleaders in a game. Of course, there are fans itching to support their team who have taken the time to come all the way to watch their team play. I always wondered, What's the role of this fancy girls club? (other than looking pretty) dancing, singing, and cheering. Almost every team had them. With time, I stopped bothering, and I accepted cheerleaders as part of the 'show' in any competition.
As I grew and metamorphosed through life and career, I realized that for most individuals, there are fans and there are cheerleaders. The fans are those who are either colleagues, neighbors, or even family members who have one level of relationship or another with you. And cheerleaders—those that see you as a rockstar no matter the circumstance. It's a notch beyond the conventional relationship. Your fans can literally walk away if you lose, or boo you when you err, just like most sports fans at a game would. But cheerleaders always believed in you, encouraging you all the way, believing the best of you, letting you know that you're a great person even if it doesn't seem so literal, and seeing through your flaws and setbacks while still cheering you on to victory.
In the case of Ali, Bundini literally choreographs every move, cheering and encouraging him when the 'greatness hasn't fully materialized. "He throws a punch, I throw a punch. He gets it, it hurt me. I can't explain it, but sometimes I know what he's gonna do before he even knows it," says Bundini. In the bottom left corner of the screen, they saw him run through the full panoply of his antic repertoire throughout the contest. A stream of consciousness, equal parts cajoling, cheerleading, and caterwauling, he jabbed and feigned, bobbed, and wove at ringside, all the while delivering a steady line in patter designed to inspire his boss. - irishtimes.com
To become a champ, you need at least one person like that in your camp, and if you do, never let them go because they are very rare to come by. There is always a large crowd of fans and a few cheerleaders, if any.
When the challenges of life roar at you like a stray animal, you need a cheerleading cornerman to help you continue to believe in yourself. When all your moves and efforts fall short of expectations and you are about to give up, your cheerleader will be there cheering you up till you reconnect with your muse or whatever makes you great, your entire being comes alive, and you literally begin to manifest your potential.
Search for individuals in your circle that position themselves as your cheerleaders and give them more access and attention, then you'll begin to see more wins in place of defeat and strength when you think it's over.