I love to participate in triathlons. I love race day and I
love training to be ready for race day. It keeps me focused on my physical
fitness. It is a challenge, and I am always up for a challenge.
When I race, I discover that there are some who are very good
at swimming, and there are some who are very good on a bike, and there are some
who are very good at running, and even some who are good at all three. I am not
particularly good at any of them, but I am good at finishing.
It takes a lot of energy to be a finisher and it takes a lot
patience. Sometimes the course is more difficult than I expected and I must dig
down as far as I can to find something more. There have been times when I
thought I had nothing left and yet I found just enough to keep going. It is
tough to do and that is part of what I love about it.
There are some special people that participate in
Triathlons. I speak of those who provide emotional support by standing along
the course to cheer us on, and those who provide nutritional support by
staffing the aid stations. Without them, the race would be much more difficult.
Maybe, it would even be impossible.
I cannot describe what it feels like to be feeling
discouraged with the difficulty of the race and then suddenly come upon a group
of strangers who are there clapping their hands and cheering me on. It always
brings a smile to my face. It always lifts me to a new level. I forget for a
moment the pain of the race and I smile and say “thank you”. I know these
people must get something out of it, but I wonder if they know how much I get
out of it. I only see them for a brief moment and I would not recognize them at
the end of the race. In other words, their service is largely unknown. They
receive no reward or recognition. They do it simply as a quiet act of service.
The same can be said about those that staff the aid
stations. Triathlons are long. These people stand in the same place and hold
out water cups and orange slices to the passing participants. Then, they pick
up the mess. The participants only drink or eat a small portion of what they
are given as they pass by, then they throw their cup on the ground. These
volunteer staffers are there to support the racers. They receive no personal
benefit. They are there to provide an act of service for someone they don’t
even know and for someone they will most probably never see again. They are
essential to the race, but usually go unrecognized at the finish line.
I was thinking about this over the weekend. I wondered if I
am expressing my thanks enough to those who are constantly supporting me in
sometimes-thankless roles. It is very easy to thank the prominent people in our
life. I want to make sure that I recognize and thank those who are always
there. Those who fill in the gaps without a lot of fanfare. Those who lift and
support me without any expectation of ever being noticed.
One such person in my life is Antoinette Benson. I worked in
a company where Antoinette is employed. She was not the focus of my work. One
of her many assignments was to coordinate my schedule. I am sure she had a lot
of more fulfilling things to do, but she always made sure I was in front of the
people I needed to see. My success in her organization would have never reached
the levels it did without her support. There was a time during my engagement
with her organization that she was on a leave of absence. That was the worst
time for me. I really missed her help. I was very grateful when she came back.
Her work was just as essential as mine, but she received little credit for her
efforts. I thanked her all the time, but I am not sure she realized just how
significant her contributions were to my success. I hope she reads this today.
If you are reading Antoinette, thanks for all of your help. I could not have
done it without you.
I am sure there are many people in my life that I need to
thank and recognize. I will look for more today and figure out a way to do it. My
question to you; Who is enabling your success? I am sure there are many who are
assisting you in a supporting role. You probably could not do your work without
them, but they probably don’t know it. Reach out to them and let them know how
important their assistance really is. We always talk about how important our
people are, and then we put all of our focus on the results we wish or need to
accomplish. Take some time today to acknowledge the people who contribute to
your success from the sidelines. I guarantee you that you would not be able to
get as much done without them.
Andrew Thorn
760-559-3548
athorn@telioscorp.com
