{"id":2488,"date":"2024-05-11T11:56:29","date_gmt":"2024-05-11T11:56:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/doughowe.com\/?p=2488"},"modified":"2024-05-21T12:00:58","modified_gmt":"2024-05-21T12:00:58","slug":"competition-and-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doughowe.com\/?p=2488","title":{"rendered":"Competition and Faith\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Hello leaders, clients, donors, and friends,<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

Greetings this morning from Alabama, my 41st visited state, and the site of an Executive Forum I\u2019m part of for a few days. Here\u2019s a few brief thoughts today about competition and faith, whih are both most relevant topics for any leader.

You may have seen (or heard about) The Masters<\/strong><\/span> pro golf tournament this past weekend. I was down here spending a day with a great bud while working on what\u2019s gonna be a great book, \u201cLiving the Lord\u2019s Prayer.\u201d<\/strong><\/span> But we (he) was distracted by the Masters\u2019. Not only was there competition on the screen (which was supposed to be background noise), but also competition in the room, as the two of us are in a season-long picks contest (for serious recreational $$) with a bunch of Accenture and Kenwood CC guys. He had Scottie Scheffler. I had Bryson DeChambeau. His guy was dominating. Mine was fading. He shouldda been celebrating, or just enjoying it, but he was complaining and whining because his guy wasn\u2019t winning by enough strokes to make his pick safe. Scheffler eventually won easily.

After I got over my own small disappointment about this little contest, I was so, so happy to hear Scheffler\u2019s comments in his postgame press conference.<\/strong><\/span> For me, as a guy who didn\u2019t grow up in an overtly religious home, I\u2019ve resonated with many a client, friend, or Thoughts on the Rocks guy who has concerns about what might happen to a leader, a professional, an executive, anyone with responsibility, if they were to really get serious about the Christian faith. I\u2019ve heard things like:<\/p>

\u201cWhat if I lose my competitive edge?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>

\u201cOthers are playin\u2019 to win;<\/strong>
I don\u2019t wanna have to turn the other cheek.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>

\u201cNice guys finish last.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>

\u201cSomeday after I\u2019ve made it, and stored up a safety net,<\/strong>
I\u2019ll check back on the faith thing.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>


So I was thrilled when Scheffler talked about competition and his faith. He revealed a piece of advice he received from his friends after being asked about his identity and not making it about his play on the golf course. He talked about gathering with his buddies prior to the final round. His \u201cbuddies\u201d are other pros and a few caddies who are part of a quiet and intimate Bible Study,<\/strong><\/span> much like the Zoom roundtables and Bible studies many of our guys are in (but without the golfing talents!)

\u201cI was sitting around with my buddies this morning, I was a bit overwhelmed, I told them, I wish I didn’t want to win as badly as did I or as badly as I do,” Scheffler said. “I think it would make the mornings easier.

“But I love winning,\u201d he continued. \u201cI hate losing. I really do. And when you’re here in the biggest moments, when I’m sitting there with the lead on Sunday, I really, really want to win badly. And my buddies told me this morning, my victory was secure on the cross. And that’s a pretty special feeling to know that I’m secure for forever, and it doesn’t matter if I win this tournament or lose this tournament. My identity is secure for forever.”

Scheffler then actually got a follow-up question about his identity and his faith:

“I believe that today’s plans were already laid out many years ago, and I could do nothing to mess up those plans. I have been given a gift of this talent, and I use it for God’s glory. That’s pretty much it,” Scheffler said.

“So, when I’m out there, I try to compete to the best of my abilities. Like I said, I really want to win. I feel like that’s how I was designed. I’ve been that way since I was a young kid. That’s always been a part of me, and I don’t think that should be going away anytime soon. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that either.\u201d

“At the end of the day, like I said, my identity is secure already, and I get to come out here and compete, have fun, enjoy it; and then at the end of the day, win or lose, my identity is secure.”

And as one outlet summarized it, \u201cnow he\u2019s a two-time Masters\u2019 winner with their first baby on the way.\u201d

I\u2019m inspired when successful people share transparently about their faith.<\/strong><\/span> Not preachy. Not cheesy. Not sloppy agape or holy mumbo-jumbo. Just their story. I\u2019m inspired by Scottie\u2019s story. Although it\u2019s taken \u2018til Tuesday to get over some bitterness that I didn\u2019t pick him but my buddy did.\u201d I don\u2019t have Scottie\u2019s skills, but I am certainly still competitive. I also remember the words of the apostle, \u201cDoesn\u2019t everyone who runs compete to win?\u201d<\/strong><\/span>

I\u2019m glad faith and competitiveness go together. In fact, each makes us better at the other.<\/p>

Best of blessings to you in this day after, this week after, this month and year after. Here\u2019s to another week of seeking to become better versions of ourselves<\/strong>;<\/span><\/span><\/p>

…In the meantime, 1) Thank You<\/strong> <\/span>for those who support our work with those who need it, 2) We still have a few spots left on each Montana fly-fishing<\/strong><\/span> and Boundary Waters<\/strong><\/span> trips this summer, and 3) Make it a great week<\/strong>!<\/strong><\/span> -Doug<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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For More Info<\/strong><\/span>: We offer a few \u201cbucket list\u201d options with a purpose each summer:<\/p>

Boundary Waters<\/strong><\/span>
It\u2019s a rare treat to be in such pristine wilderness where you can actually drink the water from the lakes, catch 20 inch smallmouth bass, enjoy the rigors of canoeing and seeing rare protected wildlife while portaging between lakes and share deep heart stuff and prayers with others on the trip. This year, the trip is designed as a Father\/Son excursion<\/strong><\/span>. If interested, please reach out to Bill at williamfkoontz@gmail.com.<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Montana Fly-Fishing<\/strong>
Come to what they call \u201cThe Last Best Place.\u201d We stay on the Madison River, with expert guides to assist raw beginners and saavy veterans. With our private chef, river access, private lakes, all gear provided, and great ToTR gatherings morning and evening, everyone gets quite a bit out of it. Reach out to Rob (June 25-30, robdaly35@gmail.com<\/span>), or Mike (July 23-28, bigmikemac@sbcglobal.net<\/span><\/span>)<\/p>

Zoom Round Tables:<\/strong>
doug@doughowe.com<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Divorce & Beyond:<\/strong>
williamfkoontz@gmail.com<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Individual Coaching:<\/strong>
*Whole Life
*Crisis Response
*Complimentary
*Young Guns, too!
doug@doughowe.com<\/span><\/span><\/p>

To Support Our Foundation:<\/strong>
Credit card: InsigniaCoaching.com\/donate<\/a><\/span><\/span>
Checks:
Insignia Foundation
P.O. Box 309
Loveland, Ohio 45140<\/p>

Donor Questions:<\/strong>
Bob Lynch, Treasurer
blynch@sflservices.com<\/span><\/span><\/p>

Other Questions:<\/strong><\/span>
Doug, 513.207.2936<\/p>

Thoughts on the Rocks: <\/strong><\/span><\/p>