Why is striving to be the best an arrogant trait? Why is it that when we hear someone say that they are the best in the world we look at them negatively? We live in a strange time. We live in mediocre times where greatness is not appreciated. We live in a social media world where likes and followers are looked up to and not actual knowledge.
I have become fascinated lately with two people, Steve Jobs, and Walt Disney. Neither one of these individuals have anything to do with fitness or CrossFit, yet I look to these men in matters of business. I look at them because they were perfectionists. From the look and design of the iPhone to the placement of trash cans they took into account every small detail. They stressed the small things. I am a firm believer that if you don’t stress the small thing, how could you ever handle the large things. If you don’t work on your first pull in a clean or a snatch how could you ever master the whole movement? How could you ever learn a muscle up before you learn how to do a pull-up. The practice is boring but it is imperative to be the best. And why should I strive to be anything but the absolute best? It is amazing to me to see people who settle for anything other than their best. How we treat the smallest tasks is how we will treat the largest task because we set a standard. If we allow complacency to enter our worlds in one area it will creep into our lives in several areas until it eventually enters what we were passionate about. Wanting to be the best is not arrogant. Wanting to achieve results that others haven’t even fathomed is a good thing, so long as it is for the betterment of others and your community and not for your own individual fame. Watching the NBA playoffs recently a reporter asked Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors why he thought he was the best defensive player in the league, his response, “because that’s how I was raised. To be the absolute best and don’t let others be better than me.” I totally agree with this sentiment. Don’t allow others to be better than you. I know I am not the best coach and athlete but I’ll be damned if I won’t make those others work at being better than me. I will strive to learn and work harder than those around me so one day it won’t be me saying that I am the best but my peers. As long as I keep striving for greatness in all that I do I will get there.
I find it very strange that we live in an age where striving for greatness is frowned upon. Where considering yourself the best because you strive to be the best is not something that we look up to. Under Steve Jobs, Apple didn’t want to be just another company. They want to innovate themselves to greatness so that people didn’t want to choose anything other than Mac or iPhones. Walt Disney wanted to revolutionize the entertainment industry. Both men wanted greatness and both will be remembered for generations to come. Why wouldn’t we want that for ourselves?

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