From “Julie’s Gems”: October 2002

Yes, I am one of those people who watches “Fear Factor.” Of course we all sit back at home and insist we could do that. It wouldn’t be a problem to purposely crash a car into a ring of fire. And we wouldn’t even squirm if we had to eat pig intestines. But to take the dreaded walk of shame – forget it! It would be far too embarrassing to fail. Why is that? We should be proud of ourselves for trying the difficult things. In other words, the walk of shame should not be shameful. Letting your defeat be the end of your efforts should be the embarrassing part.
When I watch the Olympic Games, I’m always amazed when the athletes consider themselves a failure for not getting a medal. I can understand the disappointment in not holding your dream in your hands, but you think they would be proud of themselves for making it so far. Yet for some of those competing, going back home without a medal is considered dishonorable. The focus becomes on the final destination instead of on the journey.
I know that being proud of yourself seems like you’re being conceited, but there is nothing wrong with patting yourself on the back for your achievements. Even if you don’t get first place, at least you make an effort and maybe even conquered some fears in the process. And if you do win, then that should merely be the icing on the cake, and not your main focus. So please, if you do not acquire the prize, don’t see yourself as a failure, but be pleased with how far you came. And don’t even think about giving up b/c you did not succeed the first, second, or third time. Keep up the good work, no matter what the critics says, and someday we may see tarantulas crawling on your face on “Fear Factor!”