Never forget these words: Your success in wrestling is the Icing on the Cake. It is not THE cake.
Many wrestlers get this wrong. They make wrestling the cake. The problem is that wrestling ends and ultimately you do not have full control over the results. You control your effort and your attitude but not the result.
The key is to make the most important thing the most important thing. Whether it is your faith, your family, etc.
If wrestling is the cake, you are setting yourself up for failure. If you do not reach your goals you won’t be happy. And even if you do reach your goal, it will come to an end.
Jordan Burroughs spoke about this a few years ago at a PA wrestling clinic. He recalled staring at his Olympic Gold Medal 3 months after the Olympics and thinking this better not be it. There has got to be more in life.
The bottom line is that wrestling should not define you. Go after your goals with all your blood, sweat and tears but make sure you make the most important thing the most important thing. One thing I know when all is said and done, God is not going to demand any medals from us. Keep things in perspective and you will enjoy the sport more and compete more fearlessly.
It feels good to compete and win in this sport but make sure it is just icing on the cake.