Yeah, it’s staged, but Pro Wrestling taught me plenty of valuable life lessons.
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I have been a pro wrestling fan for as long I can remember. My Uncle David and my Uncle Jude introduced me to wrestling and ever since then I have watched. My favorite wrestlers that I grew up with are Shawn Michaels (HBK) and Rey Mysterio. While I can never claim I was a hardcore fan I always tuned in and cheered my favorite wrestlers. Today I am more of a casual fan but I still check in from time to time and see what is happening. In my opinion, no matter what happens, it will never be as good as it was from the 2006-2008 time period. For many other people the time period that they romanticize is, “The Attitude Era,” a time period when Stone Cold “Steve Austin” was opening a can of whoop ass and drinking a beer. I’m not really old enough to remember this era or say much of what happened in it but I know many people rave about it. Pro-Wrestling has entertained me but it has also helped me out in my personal life.
I’m the type of person who always likes to learn and experience new things, the type of person who reads self improvement books to better myself. So what exactly does this have to do with my love for Pro-Wrestling? Here it is: Pro wrestling in many ways has taught me important lessons about being a better person and also about having improved relationships with people. As I was watching pro-wrestling I was actually improving myself! My two hobbies coming together in perfect harmony! What more can a person ask for?
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Pro-Wrestling is staged. There, I said it!
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Professional Wrestling has taught me a handful of lessons. Before I give the primary, here are 3 it has taught me:
3 Valuable Lessons that Pro-Wrestling Teaches:
1.) Putting someone else over
In pro-wrestling when two of the guys or girls fight one another they usually build a program or story line around the reason. It can be over a title, seeing who the better of the two is, or any combination of the two. In the end of the program one individual is the victor and one individual is the loser. The loser is seen as, “putting over” the winner. “Putting over” a person is the equivalent of bragging about someone elses talents to the right people or recommending that person for a job or something beneficial to their life.
2.) You can compete in a friendly way
Pro-Wrestling is staged. There, I said it! What’s not staged is all the training, traveling, and injuries that the wrestlers face. When two wrestlers “fight” one another they are engaged in a choreographed fight. They are not trying to hurt one another (I’ll admit some probably are), they are just putting on a show. In our lives we compete with one another on a daily basis for any number of things. We should all aim to achieve whatever it is that we are competing for but the goal should not be to crush our adversary. Crushing others will only lead to a life where others are always out to get you.
3.) Know who feeds you and keep them happy.
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In work these people include your boss, the company secretary, your customers, and many other people that you may or may not realize are the ones that feed you.
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Who feeds pro-wrestlers? The fans. The fans are the ones buying tickets, merchandise, and paying for Pay-Per view shows. Of course you can argue that the boss feeds the wrestlers but it all comes back to the fan base. Wrestlers, whether they are fan favorites or despised are all out there for one thing: to put on a show and entertain us. The ones that we hate let themselves get beaten down and embarrassed to entertain us. The ones that we love overcome obstacles and triumph time and time again for us. In life it is always best to know who feeds you and to keep them happy. The people that you ultimately report to are the ones who feed you. In work these people include your boss, the company secretary, your customers, and many other people that you may or may not realize are the ones that feed you. In life they can be friends, family, neighbors, etc.
Now that we grappled with those three lessons, here is the most important lesson that pro-wrestling has taught me.
On Your Way Out Put Others Over
There is a general rule in pro-wrestling that when you are on your way out, as in taking an extended break or retiring, you go out on your back. Simply put, the wrestler who is leaving goes out losing their last match and in the process puts over another wrestler. Sometimes the person getting put over is a promising up and comer and other times this person is already established. Either way, putting someone over on your way out helps that person out and betters your organization.
I feel blessed to have learned this and it’s something I practice with all of the jobs that I have held and would like to practice more. When I am leaving a job I identify a good person, a good worker, and who I think will be with the company for some time. I make a point to tell the boss or those in charge about all of the positive contributions that person has made. If I have an exit interview, I fit all my praise in that interview and if not I find other ways to do so.
Yeah, it’s staged, but Pro Wrestling taught me plenty of valuable life lessons. Where have you learned unexpected lessons from? Please let me know below in the comment section! I plan to make this a series with lessons coming in from a sorts of places in my life. Thanks!
Photo Credit: Marcus/flickr
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