It doesn’t matter where you live, we often find ourselves rooting for our favorite teams. We give them our emotional loyalty. When they win, we win with them. When they lose, especially a big game, we are devastated. For many, our favorite teams are a part of our persona. They take hold of our hidden dreams to be successful, noticed, and better than the rest. Although we may never achieve that kind of status or notoriety, when our teams win championships it’s as if we did it. I wonder if professional athletes understand how much we depend on them to elevate our spirits and lift us out of the often ordinary struggles with living. In some ways the same applies to us. When we are successful and live life confident that we can overcome any challenge that comes our way, we give hope to those who are frightened and fearful of stepping out and embracing life.