Many of us seem to take tremendous pride and joy in making others feel like losers when their river of disappointment burst its bank.
These angry outbursts have become so much part of our lives that we almost expect them despite the outcome.
The hateful words are so common place in our everyday language, especially when it is against people who we don’t even know, but we trade insults nevertheless, in public places and the most common platform in life today, social media.
Our irate tones and heated arguments which are common-place in this world of rage we live in.
There’s an age old saying: “He who conquers his anger conquer a strong enemy”.
A calm, reasoned approach can stop anger in its tracks and each of us need to examine the importance to stay calm in this age of rage.
Unjustified accusations when you are on the receiving end of someone’s wrath, hypocrisy, disingenuous and spiteful words and venom—difficult as it maybe or seem—dig deep guard your lips and conquer your anger.
Fair weather friends castigate when you are down inflicting pain with their words of humiliation and casting doubts on your ability, so cruel and heartless in their words pouring from their mouths, but as soon as start to shine and they jump on the bandwagon to celebrate and dine with you displaying their fashion of hypocrisy without an inch of shame.
All this can be avoided if we think first and evaluate the impact that our words will have on people generally and not just athletes.
Is it that to use words of encouragement and kindness are to challenging to roll of our tongues. We must practice to think before we act and before we speak. Talk to ourselves first and see if we approved of it.
In the context of sports with a number of events taking across both islands, the youth and young people are in the spotlight as they represent the red, white and black.
Some will triumph and others will face the reality of defeat, while other will face disappointment and even despair at what may seem to be dashed dreams, hope and ambition.
For the vanquished big questions will be asked. Questions like Who am I?, Why am I here?, Does life have any meaning or purpose?, but while our athletes try to answer those questions they also have to ponder on how they were received or not received and even how they were celebrated or not celebrated.
When the tough times come and the loneliness of defeat team up with the unkind language which are amplified through various platforms, it’s an opportunity for our athletes to display their mental strength. Perhaps, they too need to become vocal and vibrant, not necessary with verbal responses, but their body language must be equally vivid.
Let’s encourage our athletes, youth and young people who are fighting the pain which is inflicted by words of discouragement to not allow such to define you and derail your dreams.
Let us encourage all our athletes, youth and young people who are facing the wrath of disappointment because of what John Public has said, but rather turn those words into a weapon of inspiration and hope.
Learn, grow and improve from the lessons of failure, mistakes, defeat and disappointment. Believe in yourself.