Few people have the rare opportunity to sit in the company of genuine World Champions, athletes who have trained and disciplined their minds and bodies to do what very few are ever able to do—consistently win and succeed in their sport and in life. If you ever get the chance to spend some time with one of them, be still, listen, and learn.
That’s what I was doing this morning while having breakfast with my friend Carolyn Fisher, whose 30 year career in professional arm-wrestling has been marked by five world titles and numerous national and international titles. You will be hearing a lot more from this amazing athlete and budding author in the near future. Today, I just had to pause and share five lessons I took away from our time together:
1. World Champions are unapologetically confident.
They have prepared mentally and physically to achieve what few ever do. They are not afraid to express their opinion and be actively involved in the process that will lead them to new life championships.
2. World Champions are generous with their knowledge.
They know how hard it is to get where they are and appreciate those who helped them get there. When others seek their advice, they share it with abandon. That couldn’t be truer of Carolyn. If you want to learn how to be a life champion, she’s the gal to call.
3. World Champions know their limitations.
They know that talent alone does not win championships. They humble themselves to ask for help and seek others who can lead the way to where they want to go.
4. World Champions are teachable.
Although they know their stuff, they have learned to yield their will to the expertise of coaches who can take their natural talent further. Carolyn, for example, is grounded in years of training and experience. However, she always arrives to a conversation with her journal and pen in hand. She’s constantly looking for gems of wisdom; when she finds them, she mines them like mining for gold.
5. World Champions live for a new challenge.
No matter how many titles they have or how many championships they’ve won, they constantly look forward, not backwards. They find their energy from winning new battles instead of dusting their trophies.
Your turn
How can you apply some of these lessons to what you are doing? How can you become a world champion at what you have been called to do? I’d love to read your comments below.
And don't forget to join my community here to connect with me and other budding authors and leaders.
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By being a mentor at Toastmasters: sharing with people the communication and leadership skills that I’ve been taught, I myself can learn and teach – always improving myself and others, especially to God’s glory, to edify others, in obedience.
To become a Toastmasters world champion of public speaking, that requires practice, practice, practice.
You are truly a great mentor, Kent! And I agree with you 100% about practice!