Author: whatifconcepts

Empowering those that inspire so they can excel at the work that matters.

Sharing Victory
Olympic Closing Ceremony Credit

Would you rather be catching someone or falling behind a person who you were once shoulder-to-shoulder?  Does it matter?  Are you even competing for the same finish line?  Will the results define you?  If your motivation comes from the performance of others, catching another person by coming-up from behind triggers a primal part of our DNA.  Being dropped by a group because we are no longer able to keep-up also fires off some deeply engrained survival traits.  If we raced in the Olympics, we could suddenly find it a lonely experience as elite athletes quickly surpassed our capabilities.  Other than the shock value of an Olympians proficiency it would be hard to learn much from competing with those who are out of sight.  If we choose to race with others of all abilities then we can use the performances of those around us to slowly improve and move closer to our Olympic dreams.  Improving with others produces benefit beyond ourselves and includes those who are sharing the experience and the result.  Your victory may be hollow if it does not help others produce personal bests.

Visibility

Do we need to be seen by everyone in order to have maximum impact?  If so, perhaps we should rent a billboard over an interstate and stand on the platform with an over-sized foam hand waving to all the passing vehicles.  Add a couple webcams, a live stream, and some pinwheels and we are sure to be noticed.  But would anyone care?  If we do not need everyone then locate ourselves where those who are seeking our expertise are bound to journey.  Legends often place the guru at the top of a mountain or in a cave.  The arduous journey to reach the sage is part of the experience.  It required separating oneself from the crowd in order to seek answers.  It is challenging to take the back road and be the artist who is creating magnificent works of art in a barn.  The journey to reach our remote location adds to the value of the art.  However, if we are on the side of an interstate the interaction is much more likely to be transactional and there are other options at the next exit.  Are we seeking everyone or just a few?  Our location should resonate with our services.

Here are a few examples of remarkable enterprises/events in remote places:

Kates Berry Farm- Tasmania
Il Monterosso Hotel & Restaurant- Italy
Mdina Glass- Malta
Xterra World Trail Running Championships- Hawaii
The Historical Bicycle Museum- Italy
 

Why We Compete

If we use finish places on a podium as a metric for competition then many of us have not business pinning on a number and placing a toe on the start line.  It is a rare event where I have a legitimate chance of securing a top three finish.  And even when I have finish at the pointy end of the race I can immediately identify a names of competitors who were absent and would have placed in front of me on their off day.  So why do we compete?

I believe competition is for shared experiences.  Racing provides a type of mythology that become narrative and eventually story.  A former coach reminded me that training sessions are safe.  You can use them to push yourself to the point of failure and then absorb the consequences.  Races are celebrations and personal commitments.  We agree to show-up and give our best.  The irony is that I have a hard time recalling victories.  What does hold itself front and center are experiences.  The snowstorms that completely obscured the trail that we did not know where to proceed.  The wind that blew so fiercely that my bike and I were pushed helplessly across the road and into the path of an oncoming police van on a mountain in France.  Dirt trails that stretched ceaselessly uphill onto the knife ridge of a Hawaiian mountain before plummeting down a muddy trail that requires a rope to descend.  The hug from a competitor who won their division best because we took turns leading each other through the final hour of racing.  Holding on desperately to a pack of skiers, pleading internally that they found no motivation to go faster as we screamed towards a finish line.   Riding with 14,000 cyclist in a Gran fondo that was so full of incidents and unique equipment that a cycling cartoonist would have a career worth of material.  And the smiles for having participated, no matter the outcome or place.

We compete for the adventure, uncertainty, connection, stories, and the chance to smile.  Hopes of winning may be extinguished quickly but we do not drop-out.  We continue forward, motivated by those who are putting forward their best.  Inspired to absorb the moment and tell stories afterwards.

Bonfires

We judge not only the best features but also the periphery.  Sochi’s role as Olympic venue host is experiencing a full dose of duality.  The competition venues appear well designed and the athletes mostly happy, however the media and guests are left wanting.  Just lighting a bonfire in the middle of the field and calling it an gathering is rarely acceptable.  The brilliance occurs when the planning and execution of details match the magnitude of the flames.