Are we setting the bar too LOW ?

What you see above is the bumper sticker that is currently being sported by dozens of vehicles in my neighborhood.  This alone is not unusual, because Vista Ridge is the local high school less than a mile from my house.  What is unusual (from my perspective) is that this is the one-word messaging that is supposed to represent the spirit of the school.

COMPETE ?!

Is that really as high as you're setting your goal?!  Aspire to something in the middle?!  It seems as though they have eliminated any pride or pressure to perform well and they would rather just ... compete.

Here's a quote by the most recent #1 pick in the NFL draft (Cam Newton, starting QB for the Carolina Panthers) ...
"I don't like that word, competing.  You don't go into the game to compete.  You go into each game to win."
Seems as though if he had gone to Vista Ridge HS he might not ever have amounted to much because his priorities would not have fit into their "way of life."

Perhaps that is a little too harsh, but it just screams to me that new rhetoric of "every kid is special" and "every kid should get a trophy" and "let's celebrate graduation from every grade in school ... because that might be their last year!"
Is it any wonder that more and more people are "growing up" to be less self-reliant and more entitled to something they haven't really earned?!

So I started wondering what other bumper stickers they could produce that will further inspire lower standards and goals.

Here are my Top Ten ideas:

#10.  EXIST !

#9.  SHOW UP !

#8.  ATTEND !

#7.  JUST TRY !

#6.  FIT IN !

#5.  FINISH !

#4.  PLAY !

#3.  PARTICIPATE !

#2.  ATTEMPT !

And my personal favorite, therefore ranked #1 ...

WHATEVER !

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