Fixating on results can make us miserable, as some of the top sports stars have discovered. It’s the intrinsic joy of what we do that brings the best rewards
Why do we like sport? There are millions of people around the world who feel happiest when they are engaged in pursuits that – on the face of it – are pointless. And yet sport is serious business. Jamie Carragher and Declan Rice are two English footballers who have said their sport is “all about winning”. Is that really true? I was a sports presenter for BBC Radio 1 for eight years, encompassing the 2012 London Olympics, Andy Murray’s historic Wimbledon win and a World Cup in Brazil. It was frequently thrilling, yet over time when I went on air to report on the action, I had a nagging sense that something was missing. The fixation on results didn’t convey sport’s deep beauty and its many life lessons. Sport is often described as a metaphor for life and so I set out to explore exactly that – and found many important insights about where happiness and fulfilment are to be found. Here’s what I discovered.
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