Growing up I had great success in two sports:
* Skateboarding
* Wrestling
I never was able to define synchronization between these two seemingly distant activities. But, it struck me while watching the X-Games last weekend. Both sports are extraordinarily competitive....in neither sport do you have teammates (essentially).
Skateboarding and Wrestling have one distinct thing in common: 100% Accountability!
When you get pinned on the Wrestling mat you cannot blame the guy in the next weight class. When you fall on your face after missing a board slide you cannot blame the hand rail. What an awesome connection, to Love that which is completely within your power. To choose to commit yourself to winning or to pull up and fail. To drive your laughter to tears. In each situation, the more you practice, the better you become. So that's where I discovered myself...with no one to pass a ball to, with no one to blame a loss on, with no one there to catch me when I fall.
Independent, Free and Accountable!
To pop your board into the air high above several stairs and to land all four wheels down is a thrill experienced by a committed few. It is next to heaven, even if no one else sees it. To experience a hard earned trick and to roll off into the sunset alone is the purest form of joy!
Likewise, when you win a wrestling match, your self-confidence shoots through the roof. There is no guess work as to who should be the match's MVP - you either win or lose. When you lose, a period of deep self reflection follows...how to avoid embarrassment at the hands of another for all to see next time I step on to the mat?
So it should make sense that the truest form of victory (and defeat) are those that rest squarely on our own shoulders. When we get to a point in life where we can be 100% accountable to our short comings we have found authenticity. When we can win without the validation of others we have discovered grace.
What motivates you professionally? Is it the act of achievement or the pat on the back. Does it mean more to you to please those who are watching or to formulate and take action on a business solution? Do you live for the business relationship or the bravado that goes along with creating it.
If someone landed a 360 kick flip, and no one else saw it, did it really happen?
Don't Forget to Remember!
Dave
Didn't know you were a wrestler. I was a wrestling team manager all four years of high school. And, while the win rested squarely on the shoulders of those competing, I viewed my role as very helpful to them achieving it. I attended every practice, helped them with workouts, even sparred with them if they were 98- 112 lbs. I always felt like I helped them win.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your business question, I think my preference is to be on a team where we win together. Even if it is just me and another person. For me, victory is never as sweet if celebrated completely alone. IMHO
Love your insight.
Thanks for the encouragement, Trisha! Amazing!
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