Like Water
“Do what you feel you should do with confidence. There are no secrets.” –Anderson Silva (to Dandan)
This got me thinking a lot about competition.
The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country. I think it’s safe to say that almost everyone here is Catholic. But in a sport where there really only is one winner, who does God side with when each team prays that He will be by their side?
Then I remembered what my teammate told me around 5 years ago. It was my first competition ever, and it had to be the UAAP, and his last one. He gave the same example. The answer he gave was very interesting yet true, though. God has no biases. He gives blessings to those who work harder.
There are a number of examples you can make use of to answer this question.
I guess the first that I’d like to use is the Sistine Chapel. God is stretching out as far as possible while man isn’t even putting any effort into reaching for God’s help. That reach is always there, for all of us. No matter who or where we are, it’s still there. What we need to realize and take from this is that it’s not only God who’s supposed to be doing the work. We can’t just keep asking and asking and blindly hoping for something good to happen. You need to work for it. You need to do your part as well. And all of it comes down to how far you’re willing to stretch your body out to reach God’s grace. It’s how far you’re willing to go in order to reach that goal.
The next is The Parable of the Sower. It gives one clear message; “You reap what you sow.” Hard work and dedication breeds success. This directly translates to how hard we train for what we want. It shows in how much we’re willing to sacrifice in order to reach the finish line. Here, He gives blessings to those who persevere through everything with integrity.
Going back to my teammate, he said almost the same thing. God is definitely doing his part, all you have to do now is yours. And everyone else on the mats is going to be doing their part, so it comes down to two things; who prepared more, and who wants it more. Then, it’s just His decision. If you do your part with great work ethic and integrity, that’s when you can leave it in His hands. It’s as simple as that.
“We are what we repeatedly do; success is the constant practice of winning actions and fundamentals. There is no luck or miracles involved, nothing of that sort.” This is what one of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes in our dojo said when interviewed and asked about what is taught in that dojo.
I believe that God has no biases and that He rewards whoever worked harder for it. That’s why I train. That’s why I do more. That’s why I go the extra mile. Do everything I can properly in the hopes that everything would be enough for Him.
2012 Nationals. This is for You, my family, and my teammates.
