As a rule of thumb

It is weird but I have been thinking how no matter what I do, character is revealed. 
Good and bad things happen.  It is a fact of life.  Not only do bad things happen for seemingly no reason but there are also bad consequences that happen as a result of ignoring the way it is.  I do not get to set the rules, but it does me good to live by them.  I have found that no matter if I understand them or not, rules always make sense and sometimes I only understand after the event, but I always get to understand.
But it seems to me rules are a background thing.  When I play a game of any sport I am not always thinking of the rules.  I know what they are and to act within them, but I play the game on the basis of them only.  The rules ensure everyone is on the same page, but it is the game that has pre-eminence - not the rules.
Soccer has been called “the beautiful game.”  (I think they did well to get in with that.)  Rugby Union has been called “the game they play in heaven.”  Whatever the case, the best games are those that do not feature the umpire.  Barry Gomersall, a rugby league umpire, ignored a fight that broke out in a State of Origin and kept up with the game.  When asked about it later he said something like “I am here to umpire the game, not the fights.”  I do not know how often I have heard it said by commentators how the measure the quality of a game was the absence of the umpire.
To me life can be a lot like that (though I need to be on another level to abide by the rules).  It is not about contesting the rules or bucking them but about performing within them to the best of my ability.  It is all about being remembered for all the right reasons.  I admire Federer for reaching the pinnacle of tennis while remaining a gentleman.  Others reached the top, but I do not have the same fond affection for them as some railed against the reasonable.
What someone like Federer shows me is that I can be the best I can be without losing my identity.  And I do not need to make waves to have my identity maintained.  What I am will be revealed no matter if I am good or bad at something.  The game showcases the character.
Maybe in life, as in sport, I will make up the numbers, but I will be satisfied no matter what if I become all I am meant to be.