Selfish vs. Disciplined - Thursday, June 16th, 2011

Selfish vs. Disciplined

While at the World Team Trials I heard a few different coaches and athletes talking about how the athlete needs to be more “selfish” if they hope to win at the international level.  The idea of being “selfish” is a pet-peeve of mine. This is a common idea among elite level athletes and one that I totally disagree with.  Being “selfish” is not the right word or idea if you want to be the best you can be.  Being “selfish” is a very negative term with negative and limiting consequences.

 Let’s consider the definition of selfish:  looking after own desires; concerned with your own interests, needs, and wishes while ignoring those of others.  Showing that personal needs and wishes are thought to be more important than those of other people. 

Does that type of attitude sound like what it takes to reach your greatest potential?!  No way! 

 “Selfishness is really self-destruction in slow motion.”  -Neal Maxwell

Selfishness is basically the root of all sin and unhappiness.  The scriptures speak over and over again on the evils of selfishness.  Selfishness is not happiness and will never bring happiness. 

So how can anyone ever use the term in referring to anything positive?  You can’t.  How can an athlete (or anyone else) reach their greatest potential with an attitude fixed on asking  “what’s in it for me?”  It will not work.  There are no exceptions to the laws of God.

If a person in any field wants to reach their maximum potential they have to be disciplined, not selfish.

Being disciplined means that you get done what needs to be done.  Difficult or not, you do it.  There is plenty of time in the day to get the important things done.  You must be a team player.  My experience with athletes that think they need to be “selfish” is that they don’t want to help other members of the team because they feel like it will take away from their own mission.  False!  Everything is about them and their strength is limited.  The more you focus on yourself, the smaller you become and the larger your own problems become.   When you are told you need to be “selfish” you get the wrong idea.  

Being “selfish” doesn’t work.  Being selfish won’t work for you, and surely won’t work for your employer, or the team.   

You’ll get what you give.  If you bring value to an organization or team, you’ll feel better about yourself.  You will see life in a more positive light.  You go further in your own individual career 10 out of 10 times if you are a team player.  Plus, you’ll be able to keep your job…haha.  

If you want to see how great you can become, be disciplined.  Prioritize your life.  Do all the little and difficult things that it takes to make progress.  Being disciplined means that you eliminate actions, habits, and thoughts that hold you back from making progress.  Take no short cuts.   

Ok, that’s my two cents. 

Coach Cunningham wears short shorts.

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