Keeping Your Hands on the Rope
I have been reminded the past few days that life is not always easy. In fact, sometimes the degrees of affliction can be downright mean. And to top it off, the malice comes in many different forms, illness, task masters, expectations, bill collectors, employers, government regulations, freaks of natures, and even consequences of others choices. We never really know what or when it will happen. Most of the time we don't even control the circumstance, but what we do control is how we prepare and how we react. In the end, win or lose, those are the only things that really matter; how we prepared ourselves and how we reacted. That is what we will be held accountable for.
Yesterday, I met with one of our companies executive vice presidents. He talked to us about being a team in a game of tug o war. As an individual, we will rarely ever win against the mounting opposition. But, as a group/team, pulling together, we can win, if we are all giving it our best.
This all has put me to thinking. I whole hardly agree, alone, we will rarely win. However, that does not mean that as an individual I should not lay my hands on the rope unprepared. I need to be doing everything I can to support the team. I need to have my own feet firmly planted in a strong foundation. I need to know what my strengths and weaknesses are. I need to work, every waking moment on not only making my weaknesses stronger, but maintaining if not building the strengths I have.
As part of a team, I also need to know my team players. I need to know their strengths and weaknesses. In turn, they need to know mine. Together, we need to seek ways to carry the load in the right direction. That is where it can get sticky. When we know others weakness, we are often prone to point fingers or place blame when the battle is not going in our favor, when in reality, we should be using our strengths to compensate for their weakness and carrying the blame together. It is even harder at time to know our own weaknesses and succumb to our personal pride that prohibits our fellow teammates to use their strengths to help us build our weaknesses. So instead of pulling, we start pushing, or even worse, we take our hands off the rope and walk away.
We can't do this. We must keep our hands on the rope. We need to be constantly engage in the battle, day in and day out. We need to give 100% at all times, in all places, in all things. For all the teams you are pulling for.
So, how many teams are you on? Family? Work? Church? Class? School? Swim? Polo? Companionship? Marriage? Play? Calling? Ward? Quorum? Siblings? Parent? Child? Are you giving 100% to each? Are you working every moment to be the best individual team member you can be? Do you know your strengths? Weaknesses? How about those of your teammates? Are you working just as hard to help them where they are weak and they are strong? Are you humble enough to let them help you where you are weak and they are strong? Are you keeping your hands on the rope?
Yesterday, I met with one of our companies executive vice presidents. He talked to us about being a team in a game of tug o war. As an individual, we will rarely ever win against the mounting opposition. But, as a group/team, pulling together, we can win, if we are all giving it our best.
This all has put me to thinking. I whole hardly agree, alone, we will rarely win. However, that does not mean that as an individual I should not lay my hands on the rope unprepared. I need to be doing everything I can to support the team. I need to have my own feet firmly planted in a strong foundation. I need to know what my strengths and weaknesses are. I need to work, every waking moment on not only making my weaknesses stronger, but maintaining if not building the strengths I have.
As part of a team, I also need to know my team players. I need to know their strengths and weaknesses. In turn, they need to know mine. Together, we need to seek ways to carry the load in the right direction. That is where it can get sticky. When we know others weakness, we are often prone to point fingers or place blame when the battle is not going in our favor, when in reality, we should be using our strengths to compensate for their weakness and carrying the blame together. It is even harder at time to know our own weaknesses and succumb to our personal pride that prohibits our fellow teammates to use their strengths to help us build our weaknesses. So instead of pulling, we start pushing, or even worse, we take our hands off the rope and walk away.
We can't do this. We must keep our hands on the rope. We need to be constantly engage in the battle, day in and day out. We need to give 100% at all times, in all places, in all things. For all the teams you are pulling for.
So, how many teams are you on? Family? Work? Church? Class? School? Swim? Polo? Companionship? Marriage? Play? Calling? Ward? Quorum? Siblings? Parent? Child? Are you giving 100% to each? Are you working every moment to be the best individual team member you can be? Do you know your strengths? Weaknesses? How about those of your teammates? Are you working just as hard to help them where they are weak and they are strong? Are you humble enough to let them help you where you are weak and they are strong? Are you keeping your hands on the rope?
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