pinning hopes

I never feel more helpless than when I watch the UofA Wildcats play. Be it football or basketball, I watch with anticipation, hope, and love. Sadly, that trio of fluffy feelings is often met by the harsh and heavy hand of reality, in the form of a loss. What happens next is, I become incensed. Pseudo expletives fly! My shrill voice pierces the air! Anger! Malice! Hate! Disdain! All because one team, out of hundreds, fails to win one game, out of dozens. These sporting events have a powerful effect on my emotions. I heard once that you shouldn't pin your hopes on outcomes you have no control over. In regards to sports fandom, I see it more as a double edged sword. If I want to experience the ecstatic elation of a big win, then it's only right that I make myself susceptible to the tormented sorrow of a disappointing loss. Perhaps I should take the lofty expectations I have for my beloved sports teams and turn them inward. If I expect excellence from them, then I can't expect any less from myself. Too often I settle for mediocrity. If I focus on attaining personal successes, their attainment will certainly outweigh any outside disappointments. Living a life of excellence, that's a good goal.