Posted on Dec 6, 2014 in take a stand

Will the Real Champions please stand up?

For most of my life, I thought the word Champion referred to someone who was the winner at some high-profile sports event. As a young girl, I ran track, and when someone emerged as the winner on the 440, she was the champion.

It was only years later, when I immersed myself in medieval history, that my awareness of the original meaning of the word Champion came into focus. During the middle ages, the nobles staged jousting events. Hollywood often presents such events as a form of entertainment for the peasants on their feast days. But in reality, these jousts served a very practical purpose as staged ‘war games’. Before entering into mock battle, it was common for a knight to tie a fabric token of a certain lady to his horse or his gear, as a sign that he was heading into battle as her champion. This tradition signified that he was fighting for her cause.

Today we speak of the Champion as the winner of a swimming event, a cycling event, or a football league. The words ‘winner’ and ‘champion’ have become almost synonymous. But in most cases, these athletes are in it for the competition. They are not championing a cause any larger than their own sense of accomplishment, and in some cases, their own pride.

As entrepreneurs, we have a much different mindset. We have built our businesses on the foundation of serving others in the name of a cause we believe in. We know the true meaning of championing a cause. We may be coaches, healers, lawyers, or authors  – but each of us has chosen this line of work to further a cause we truly believe in. We are the true champions.

Let’s stand up!

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