Let’s think for a moment about the various ways we have traveled to and from competitions across our lives in sport. Low rent or first class, those who play their hearts out find joy in the journey.

· I remember traveling to high school wrestling meets in school busses. I remember teammates spitting in paper cups to lose the last fractions of a pound so as to make weight. I remember the smell of oranges being peeled and snacks from mothers being shared among teammates. I remember the raucous rides home after victories and the deathly quiet following painful losses. I also remember being slapped by a cheerleader, but not having enjoyed the offending pinch.

The young girl in eighth-grade science class may look like she's doing all right, but Claudeen Bryant knows better. The fifth-year teacher at inner-city Nashville's (Tenn.) Haynes Middle School has been around long enough to see through the facade of most struggling adolescents. She knows how easy it can be to trick people into believing everything is OK when, inside, you're an emotional wreck.

"Everybody drinks. Just have a beer and stop being a baby."

"Come on, it's only pot. It's not a big deal."

"Just take these. I know they're steroids, but nobody will know you're taking them, and you'll be amazed how much better your game will be."

The message is the same in schools around the country. Insert the area's biggest drug-related problem, and you'll hear the same thing: "Everyone is doing it, and they're turning out just fine."

Growing up in Pennsylvania, my grandmother raised me to go to church. I did all the normal Christian things like go to Sunday school, sing in the choir and participate in our group of junior missionaries. Obviously, by the time I got to college, I knew who God was. I could tell you all the Bible stories and knew about Jesus, but it all was a very premature version of knowing Him. I didn't really recognize Christ as my Lord and Savior or have a personal relationship with Him.

Chosen Attribute: Motivation

Dictionary definition: "Something that causes one to act."

My definition: "What compels you, what drives you, and what your life is plugged into in order to truly live."

Chosen Attribute: Passion

Dictionary definition: "Any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling."

My definition: "An enthusiastic approach to life and people and the possibilities they have to offer."