Best of the Best

Best of the Best was a favorite movie when we were growing up, my brother, sister, and I carefully watching all the karate moves until we could mimic them perfectly.

The plot of the movie is pretty simple. Ponytailed Main Guy is a martial artist who doesn't want to fight anymore. That is, until his kid brother is brutally beaten and killed in a match with Guy with a Chip on His Shoulder. Main Guy plots revenge and joins the U.S. team in hopes of meeting Chipped Shoulder and settling the score once and for all. All the while, he and his teammates are journey to see who truly is Best of the Best, in the tournament and in real life.

The movie culminates in the last fight of the tournament, where Main Guy squares off against Chipped Shoulder. As Main Guy is busy pummeling Chipped Shoulder, he spots Chipped Shoulder's younger brother. Nothing more than a teenager, the boy looks on helplessly as Chipped Shoulder, obviously his hero, is walloped to near-death by a guy with a ponytail (Main Guy). As Main Guy readies himself to deal the final, deadly blow that will end it all and prove him the best fighter around, he hesitates. He can't do it! He can't take another guy's brother away. I mean, after all, he of all people knows what that's like. His integrity has saved Chipped Shoulder, but lost Team U.S.A. and himself the title.

After the match, Team Korea somberly accepts their medals while team U.S.A. stands proudly by. But wait! There is some movement in the lineup of Team Korea. Team U.S.A. looks up in surprise as Chipped Shoulder makes his way over to Main Guy. Chipped shoulder walks with a crutch, his eye purple and sealed shut, dried blood crusted in the corners of his face. When he reaches Main Guy, Chipped Shoulder, with great struggle, removes his own medal and places it ceremonially over Main Guy's head. You can see that Chipped Shoulder is getting emotional. He raises his hand and places it on Main Guy's shoulder saying in accented English, I am sorry for what I have done. Please accept me as your brother. Wowza! Right to the heart, Chipped Shoulder. Upon seeing this great gesture, the remaining members of Team Korea approach, placing their own medals on Team U.S.A.

Moral of the story: integrity and good character win out over evil. Thus, the title of the movie Best of the Best is really a double entendre, in which the "best of the best" could be the people who win the medals. Or, more poignantly, the "best of the best" are the people with the greatest character. I love martial arts movies from the 80's!

So in the end, what can we learn from this harrowing, albeit cheesy and formulaic, archetype of classic 80's martial arts cinematography?

Well, it got me thinking. In a way, my own personal Martial Arts Tournament of Life, [aka My Job Hunt aka Search for Life's Meaning] is a test similar to that of the ponytailed Main Guy. Much like Main Guy labored to perfect his skill as a fighter, over the last three years, I've put my heart into achieving my career goals But putting effort into anything begs the question why?

Why train for any sport? Or, in my case, why look for a job? What's its purpose? Well, certainly a job provides money. It provides a level of security. But other things do that, too. The lottery, for one. The Mafia. Even a good Sugar Daddy will do the trick. So why a job?

My theory is that we work because, among other things, it gives us purpose. And I think our purpose on earth is to become better people--stronger, more willing to forgive, more apt to help, more inclined to do the right thing even when it's difficult. And a job, any job really, helps us do just that. It is a thing that requires our time, concentration, and effort. And those things required by a job in and of themselves demand that we go beyond our natural inclinations, that we strengthen and stretch and challenge ourselves.

So I realize that I've been going about this all wrong. I've been looking for a job so that I can make money and not feel like such a loser. But if the purpose of a job is to build character, then what is stopping me from building my character right now, exactly where I'm at? To me, this is revolutionary.

And trust me, there is nothing more character building than rejection. Sure, it's easy to be a swell person when things are going your way. When you have a job, when people like you, when your brother was not killed by a man with a chip on his shoulder--it's easy to be friendly and kind and treat others with respect. But the truth is that most of the time, for most of us, things aren't going to go right. You won't get that job, someone somewhere will dislike you, and some metaphorical chipped shouldered person will always be out to get you. Bad things will happen, and that's just the way it is.

A person of character is someone who displays grace despite it all. Who is thankful when they have a lot and thankful when they have little. A person of character knows how to be content when things are good and when things aren't so good. And this is the kind of person I want to be, job or no job. And I am thankful for this time of testing and even thankful for all the rejection. The trials and struggles of life are ultimately what make us stronger and, in the long run, the challenges we face and overcome are what make life worth living. Like gold is refined in the fire, so our character is made better through adversity.

So at the end of the day, I don't want to be the kind of person who runs and hides from a little defeat. A wise man once said to me that nothing worthwhile is ever easy--and as the tag line from Best of the Best so eloquently states, There's a kind of inner strength you never know you have...until it's ALL you have.

Bring on the next round of unemployment! I'm ready for it.