Character is what you are in the dark.
I have a love/hate relationship with volleyball. There are parts of the game that I could walk away from...and those parts typically have to do with people's behavior.
There are times when you walk on the floor and your team is only fielding four players. You look to the other side and see that team has five or six and you know what's coming. Dinks. Tips. Cheap shots. There's a gentleman's agreement in the sport that you don't try to take advantage of a situation...like four vs five; you try to play the game the "right" way. Without cheap shots. But not everyone adheres to this unwritten rule.
And so, people take cheap shots. And you know what I've learned? Those taking the cheap shots are your poorer players. The ones who aren't that skilled or athletic. The ones who, when the game is on the line, never touch a ball. So, when they finally get their opportunity to "shine" they deliver a cheap shot. Because it's all they are capable of.
I've found the same to be true in business. You see it from those who take an approach of "winning at all costs." They take shortcuts and cheap shots and they tend to be by those individuals with very little skill. Those who lack innovation. Lack creativity.
And sadly, they sometimes find success.
Take payday lending as an example; though, I'm not demonizing the entire industry. There have always been marginalized individuals in society that need access to quick cash. There's a legitimate need that those businesses can fill and still make good money in. However, there were those shady characters that thought a four-digit interest rate was "appropriate." Cheap shot. They took advantage of the situation.
Sure, there were several businesses who made a lot money. The owners could call themselves a "success..." but at what cost?
Integrity and character aren't just words to be put on your resume or in a vision statement. They are words to live by. There's a poem I learned in high school written in the early 1900's called "The Guy In The Glass." The part I've always held onto:
You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years, and get pats on your back as you pass. But your final reward will be heartache and tears if you've cheated the guy in the glass.
Whether sports, business or other endeavors, there will always be an opening to take a cheap shot. But can you take that shot, look yourself in the mirror and be proud? Go home to your family ask them to respect you?
I'd rather struggle, make the right choices and celebrate not just success...but success that was earned the right way.
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