Day 21, ABCs of Gratitude: Underdogs

Back on track and welcoming Day 21 with open arms! Good to be back.

Today I am grateful for 'Underdogs'. These unlikely victors have been the subject of many remarkable stories for thousands of years. They usually make me cry tears of happiness and, most importantly, they remind me that advantages in opponents are not always what they seem.

I recently finished reading Malcolm Gladwell's book, "David and Goliath". He was inspired to write the book after he found out that everything he had perceived about the biblical story was actually completely wrong.

The chapters of the book touch on various ways in which an advantage can be a disadvantage; and more poignantly times when disadvantages--if managed in the right way--can be advantageous. The key takeaway for me was that the term 'Underdog' and its perceived disadvantages are just that, a perception. A viewpoint. Often from a third-party outsider. As it turns out, being an underdog is not about struggling to combat with the same strengths of your foe in hopes of leveling the playing field. Doing this will only amount to a mediocre version of the other person's clear advantage. Instead, focus on the God-given strengths you have and build upon them. When you embrace these talents and run with them, you may just find that those very strengths will throw your Goliath off-guard and bring him tumbling down.

The term underdog is often used in sports. And I can't help but think that, when it comes to sports, the most memorable winning teams require a fairly long track record of wins and championships to be memorable (especially amongst people that aren't direct fans of that team). In fact, if they falter even a bit, people tend to disregard them and remember them for the fall rather than the climb.

Underdogs, however, only need one upset to write a story that people will revisit for years to come.

So today I am writing about underdogs because not only do they dare me to have faith in the improbable; they teach me to focus on the good things in my life, not just the shortcomings.

And, I know it's not until next week but....GO BEAVS!! Civil War 2013 is yours!