After you watch a football game the sidelines reporter
almost always grabs a player that made a noteworthy play during the game, for
some sort of postgame interview.  When
it’s a Quarterback, you usually get the routine answers, accompanied with a big
“aww shucks” smile, talking about how great the team played and how he,
personally, needs to work on a few things and his team helped him out and blah
blah blah.  It’s pretty much the same
formula each time and you aren’t going to get a great or memorable quote from
the leader of the team.

When you get a player that doesn’t usually get the camera
time; that’s a whole different interview! 
I love it when the defensive players get an opportunity to say something
after the game. Why?  Because they have a
tendency to break out some emotional speech, fueled with random elements and
occasionally a cameo from another player who may or may not realize (or care)
that their teammate has a microphone in front of them.  It’s comical, but it’s more “real” than
anything you are going to get from a coach or Quarterback. 

Yet, these players have their crutches too.  Almost always, they find a way to work this
phrase into the spirited speech…”Everyone doubted us”.  Everyone doubted the team.  Everyone doubted the defense.  Everyone doubted that player.  Sure, you have the best record in the league,
but everyone doubted you.  You made it to
the Super Bowl, but everyone doubted you. 
You are a millionaire and have started every game you have ever played
in since you were 6 years old, but everyone doubted you. 
Right… 

Sometimes, in an effort to #Tryharder or stay motivated, you
have to create something to keep you going. 
You have to invent a fake Goliath to throw stones at.  A group of people that doubt you in order to
keep fighting, or a chip on your shoulder in an effort to stay motivated and
evoke motivation from others.  When you
don’t have anything real or concrete holding you back, you have to feed on the
energy of something.  Even if that
catalyst isn’t even real.   

Positive motivation is great, but it doesn’t hold a candle
to what results negative motivation can often produce.  It’s one thing to live the best life you can
and do it motivated by a pure drive to be great, but to be able to use a chip
or crutch to keep your motor going is a far stronger force of mental
energy.  To beat the team that once beat
you.  To prove others wrong.  To shove your accomplishment into someone
else’s face.  I’m not saying it’s
healthiest, but the results come faster and can help push you to dig deeper if
they have an element of adversity or competition.

Problem is that this adversity is mostly, if not all,
self-created. The creation of the fake “haters” comes from a history of failure
and a desire to blame that failure on something or someone else. Imagination
has more uses than Willie Wonka sang about, doesn’t it? 

Here’s the thing. 
It’s not a bunch of people doubting you. 
It’s you doubting you.  Strip it
down and look at your motivator.  What is
driving you to #Tryharder?  Is it really
animosity or is it your insecurities?  Is
it really a group of people doubting you or is it self-doubt?  Do you find yourself creating false scenarios
or backstories that never happened?  OK,
what if they did happen?  Do you still
think that high school teacher that was a dick to you in 10th grade
is still thinking about you and hoping that all the things he said about you
would come true?  Highly unlikely right?  If that’s the case, then that dude has some
serious issues and probably lives in a van, down by the river.

In the end, find what works for you, but make sure to
acknowledge what is real and what is a made up backstory from some fake chapter
of your life.  It’s good to have a
healthy amount of “chip” on your shoulder and a competitive drive to overcome
hurdles, but don’t be delusional.  Your
ego can trick you into thinking that everyone is talking about you. After you
come to terms with that, you’ll understand that deep down, you are the one with
the foot in your ass.  You are the one
motivating and you are the one doubting. 
You are the one accountable for your goals and accomplishments and you
are the one that needs to believe in you.