Appraising the Day - Post Wimbledon

I have to admit I'm not much of a sports fan
 accept when Wales,

 (or any of the other Celtic nations)

 are playing England at rugby.

Then I'm afraid the old tribal blood gets roused 
and I shout for the Celts.

Not proud of it but there it is!

Still, watching Wimbledon this last weekend
 gave me food for thought.

Whilst owning their competitiveness and deep desire to win,

 I was impressed as I heard tennis professionals,
 one after the other,

 coolly appraising their performances.

They could equally well say ,
"I was able to play some brilliant tennis out there today...",

as to unabashedly claim the moments

 " I lost concentration in the second set..." 

" I didn't feel able to move around the court as well as I'd like..." 

Most gracious,

 ( and perhaps more difficult?) 

they could say of their opponent,

"He /she played really well."

"He / she was the better player..."

As somebody who has always found it easier
 to dwell on my weaknesses 

than to be aware of  my strengths

I looked at Andy Murray's 
monumental match against Roger Federer

 in the Men's Wimbledon Finals
 with new eyes.

Whilst not wanting to live in a cloud cuckoo land 
where I am oblivious to my faults and failings,

I don't need to be so hard on myself 
that I don't see that there are two sides to the coin,

 and that there is some good stuff going on as well.

Murray's Supporters       BBC Sports News

In fact, there are things about myself I can appreciate
 and give thanks for 

(un-British as this may be),

Andy Murray  BBC Sports News

because after all I'm not alone in all this,

 even,

 (or perhaps especially),

when I feel most as though I am.

Murray's Supporters       BBC Sports News

I may weep over my failings at times for sure,

but may I mostly weep 
because I am touched by the knowledge of the gifts 
I have been given 

by a love greater than I thought possible

BBC Sports News

It isn't healthy or whole to deny our strengths

and to be continually hard on ourselves

anymore than it is to deny our weaknesses 

and be blind to our faults.

BBC Sports News

 I need to embrace ALL that I am.

Be Blessed