Let’s show them what they missed!
I recently read an article in the New York Times that dealt with Stony Brooks Lacrosse team, predominantly made up of overlooked recruits. Before going out to lay Syracuse their coach addressed the team:
He looked at his players, virtually every one of them from Long Island, and asked how many of them had been recruited by Syracuse, one of the powerhouses of college lacrosse. No one raised a hand. “Yeah,” Spallina told them, “because they don’t think you’re any good.” With that, he walked out.
History will record, they won 17-16.
Now while I am a fan of positive reinforcement, believing that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, I can still see how powerful this is… We all have setbacks, we all have naysayers, and while, on the whole, our focus should be on ourselves, a little chip on the shoulder, a little grudge against perceived slights can give us some additional impetus to achieve greater heights…