Helping Others To Win

I’m part of a supportive online group – Helen Rappy's  30 Day Productivity Challenge.  All the members get together at the beginning of each month and commit publicly to achieving a set of business goals by the end of that month.

I’ve experienced the most wonderful support from my productivity family (that’s just how it feels – a family) and this week has been even more supportive.  As we see the finish line in sight, some of us are struggling with the last little tasks.

This has meant that all the members have got together to encourage us even more because they want us to finish.  They want us all to be winners.

Now, just to let you know.  Those members who finish their monthly task get their name put into a draw and there are prizes to be won.  So it’s really a competition, but the way the team all pull together for each other brings a lump to my throat.

It reminds me of a wonderful story I was sent last year, I’d like to share it with you . . .

Some time ago at the Seattle Olympics, nine athletes, all mentally or physically challenged stood on the start line for the 100m race.  The gun fired and the race began.  They all started running.  Everyone wanted to win.  Then a boy tripped and fell and started crying.  The other eight competitors heard him crying and they slowed down and then stopped, then they came back … all of them! A girl with downs syndrome sat down next to him, hugged him and asked “feeling better now?” Then, all nine walked shoulder to shoulder to the finish line.  The whole crowd stood up and applauded.  And the applause lasted a long time.  People who witnessed this still talk about it.  Why? Because, deep down inside us, we all know that the most important thing in life is much more than winning for ourselves.  The most important thing in life is to help others to win, even if that means slowing down and changing our own race.

I’d like to take a moment to thank my productivity family and my online team in general – you know who you are.  Thank you to all those people who slow down to help us win.