"breakfast is served" - A road sign

​Breakfast is served.  In a few days, I will be putting to bed my road sign writing.  I had made a list of road signs as we traveled from Michigan to Indiana and decided I would try to connect to each sign with my writing.  I have one more sign after this one today.  So for today and tomorrow breakfast will still be served.
 
When I first saw this sign, my mind automatically went to the old days when they played commercials emphasizing the “Breakfast of Champions.”  Some great Olympic winners were portrayed on the cereal of the Breakfast of Champions. 
 
The “Breakfast of Champions” got me to thinking about what a “Breakfast of Champions” looks like.  I visualized great champions getting out of bed, eating their breakfasts.  I wondered, what else would they do to start their day?
 
This is what I imagined:

• Some might pray.  Prayer would bring them inner strength and the ability to meet whatever the day might bring, including loss.  Prayer would help put worry aside.  Champions work hard and have done all that they can possibly do.  When the day of competition comes, they take a deep breath and give it over.  Having worked hard and done their best, they realize so many factors contribute to victory or loss. They control what they can, but some things are out of their control.
• Champions would begin to organize their day.  They would form a schedule allowing practice, skill development, time for reflection and rest.
• In today’s world, some athletes might prepare their minds.  Champions will visualize doing well.  They will prepare their minds for competitions, and do away with thoughts that could hold them back.  The mind is a funny thing – just your thoughts can cause mistakes or failure to happen.
• Hearts will be prepared.  The heart shows the champion what they love and gives them passion to endure hardship and failure.  The heart pushes them to give their all.  If their heart is not in it…
• Champions set a goal.  The goal is one of being in competition with oneself.  Then they strive to meet that goal. 
• Emotional preparation is also important.  The champion has to know how to harness fear and nerves and yet also use these emotions to fuel their drive.  They learn how to deal with sadness and loss.  They even have to learn how to deal with victory.  People don’t often realize the difficulty that might come with victory – the pressure to stay on top, some loss of focus as attention is diverted in different directions…
• A champion prepares to face whatever the day might bring.  They prepare with heart, mind, and soul.

 
Breakfast is served!
 
BEcky