So I took this pic a while back and added a quote...
...for two reasons.
1) Resistance
It's relative. We all feel it in some way. What's easy to you, might be extremely challenging to another. What's light for you, might be heavy for another. It's all relative to the individual with many variables that can push or pull the lines in all directions.
Like I've referenced in the past couple blogs, our roads/paths were on, they're similar but different. We happen to be on the same planet, maybe in the same area of it, but with all very different childhoods, upbringing, development, etc. We all have different skills and expertise, different strengths and areas where we strive just as we have the opposite. A while back, I took my car in for troubles. It was something super basic that I felt I should've or could've handled. I apologized for wasting his time. Mark, the excellent mechanic on the corner of Richmond Rd and Wilson Mills said "We all know what we know. I know this, this is my profession, you have yours which I know nothing about. You can teach me one day."
So it's important that we combine our knowledge and experiences and collect energy to create strong bonds and become a more helpful community.
Be helpful.
Be useful.
2) Power
(I'm about to write something pretty dicky but hang w me... I can clear it up. You may be the exception to what I'm about to say so, settle down).
When hiring an employee, I would definitely give extra "points," towards someone who was once an athlete in a team sport, was a team leader of that sport or someone who was active in the weight room.
Why?
Not because of work ethic exactly, and not because of some jockish machismo crap.
Drive. In my experiences, those who come from a team sport background, are driven by passion and pride, not money, and that's huge for me. When you're driven by pride, a particular amount of dollars isn't going to change how hard you work or how you work.
Now, obviously we all need to make money and spend money and all that, I'm not saying I'm anti-money. But I am in the sense of motivational roots. If money is the only thing in your head that will make you great, you're a flawed character. If it's pride that fuels you, you'll be paid everyday.
I've also found those in sports in general, not just team sports, have a greater tolerance for pain and are much harder to beat and again, these are the people that would make up my staff. How and why?
When you grow up competing constantly, whether on a field, weight room, court, mat, ring, wherever... You are constantly being tested by others and testing yourself. You grow and nurture (if done right) a need, a desire to always compete and win. So if we're talking about a sales position, that athlete is still in there and wants to win big. Whatever the position is, the athlete is still there, wants to win big, wants to dominate and stand out.
Example: I have a friend who heads up a department. His had an employee on his staff that was an absolute standout. I always asked "do you know why?" He didn't. I said "because she was a d1 athlete." He resisted this idea... Until shelves and he had to replace her. And now he's still searching for someone to step up into her role and do the job... Crickets. I said "look for an athletic background and you'll find your diamond."
I know someone who doesn't consider themself an athlete may challenge this, but I attribute this mindset to runners, lifters, anywhere there are people pushing themselves physically and to an uncomfortable level.
*Female athletes receive double points.
Anyone can do something easy.
Who pushes through the hard work?
Who doesn't have a quit button?
Who doesn't mind the pain? (Tattoos anyone?)
Who can sit at half time down 3 scores and know deep down, "we'll come back," and believe it and then make it happen?
Who can lose? Who can lose and let it hurt so bad all they want to do is get back out there, get back to the weight room, get back to practice and make it right, then go back and compete again w no fear?
Pressure and resistance mold us, it shapes us accordingly to take on the challenges we need. Challenges we personally need to become who we are destined to be.
When we were kids, we asked "what are you going to be?" And "what are you going to do?" Then a phase of life comes around and we stopped asking and settled into the momentum of our childhood. Maybe for better, maybe not, we let pressure and resistance mold away and we went along for the ride.
Use it as a tool. Your will.
Examine how you personally challenge yourself in life. Do you take the easy road? Do you back out when in pain, challenged or pushed?
Do you road back like a lion and claw through the grind?
Never stop evolving.
