The kids recently had a fantastic day of racing, despite challenges on the course due to rain earlier in the week. They learned a lot, pushed themselves, overcame some challenges, pushed through disappointments, and felt great excitement. They even brought home some hardware! It was a fun day watching them do one of the sports they enjoy.
However, the items listed above are not what I will remember most from the event. What I will remember is the great lesson they and their buddy reminded me of. Someone else's success doesn't diminish their own success or journey. All day, I watched little buddies cheer for one another and pump each other up. They wanted each other to be successful, not just one.
Sometimes I think our world has lost sight of this. I see that loss everyday in the career and parenting world. A scarcity mindset is a damaging one. We're all guilty of this from time to time. It's human nature.
However, there is room for all of us to be successful. Because we're all called to different and unique things, that success will look and be achieved differently. Some will be public with showy accolades, some happens in private without much notice from the world as a whole. Success of one doesn’t have to diminish the success of another.
How much different would the world be if we started cheering louder for everyone versus saying nothing, or worse, tearing people down? What if we stood on the sidelines of not just the exciting, but even the mundane, but of so important parts of life and said "I see you! You're doing a great job! Keep going!" Maybe I'm a dreamer, but I have to think it wouldn't hurt to have a little extra cheering in our world.
Here's a challenge as we kick off the week. Who is one person you could cheer for, send a text, or compliment in person this week? I’m not talking your best friend, though you can get a bonus point for that. What if its someone you don’t know well, or maybe even someone you have a little bit of secret jealously towards. It doesn't need to be big or take more than a couple seconds. But, I can almost bet that even a few small words will make a difference in their story. The positive action will also enhance your mindset as well.
