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February 10, 2012
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The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
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February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
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January 27, 2012
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Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
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Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
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Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
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Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
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January 17, 2012
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January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
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January 11, 2012
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David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
April 26, 2007
/ 8 Iyar 5767
Being No. 1 is over-rated
By
Lloyd Garver
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
I was saddened to learn last week that the National Cheerleading Championship team, Wichita State University, was disqualified, thereby losing its title as "National Champion." It was discovered that they cheated by using a cheerleader who was not enrolled in the University. It upset me not because I follow cheerleading competitions I didn't even know there was a national champion. No, it bothered me because it was one more example of the lengths people will go to so they may be declared "No. 1" or "the best."
I'm tired of hearing about politicians, business leaders, writers, and students who cheat in their pursuit of winning or being declared "the best" at something. And now cheerleaders are cheating? What's next? Are infants going to fake burping just to get all the praise?
I'm not against ambition. I think it's a good thing for all of us to try to be the best person we can be. But that's different from having a need to be better than everyone else.
Some people don't care what they're the best at as long as they're the best at something. This explains many of the entries in the "Guinness Record" book like the "Most Live Rattlesnakes Held In The Mouth," "The World's Longest Fingernails," and "The Fastest Sandwich Made By Feet."
Some people also have to surround themselves with "the best" things. You'll hear them say their kids go to "the best school," they live in "the best house" in "the best neighborhood." We hear people claim they have "the best doctor." I don't remember there being a "Medical Olympics" in which doctors compete by performing surgeries, delivering babies, and convincingly telling worried patients, "I had the same thing, it's nothing, and it'll go away." So, how do they know that theirs is the best doctor?
Telling themselves that they have the best doctor, the best lawyer, the best car, the best lawn, the best kids, the best spouse, and the best sunscreen obviously makes some people feel better and more secure. But it's sad that this need exists.
Many of us are taught at a very young age that "good isn't good enough." The implication is that everyone should try to be No. 1. Of course, it's impossible for everybody to be No. 1, but sometimes parents, teachers, and coaches don't tell kids this.
So, what happens when kids or adults realize that they just might not be the best at something? Too often, they feel like failures, or they cheat or both.
People seem to have forgotten that it's more important to do your best than to be the best.
Should we have less admiration for the kid who works really hard and gets all B's and C's than for the kid who doesn't have to work at all and gets all A's? I don't think so.
It's the process that should be celebrated and enjoyed at least as much as the result.
Phrases like "winning is everything" and "keep your eye on the prize" miss the point about the joys of pursuit and competition. I'll bet when those cheerleaders first started jumping and tumbling and holding each other in the air with one hand it was pure fun and they weren't focused on being No. 1.
Often champion athletes will talk about their winning season. Their struggles, their wins, their losses, their grueling practices, and the camaraderie that developed among the teammates are as important to them as that trophy they got at the end of the season. Those lessons they learned all season long will last a lifetime. That trophy will be tarnished by next year.
I love to write. If I happen to write something good and other people like it, or maybe even get some acclaim for it, well, that's the cherry on top of the sundae. But the sundae tastes awfully good even without the cherry.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Lloyd Garver has written for many television shows, ranging from "Sesame
Street" to "Family Ties" to "Frasier." He has also read many books, some of
them in hardcover. Comment by clicking here. Visit his website by clicking here.
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© 2006, Lloyd Garver
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