Don't Look For The Rock
5th grade - Field Day
The main event: the 50-yard dash
I was the fastest kid in the school!
Undefeated champion of the recess playground
I had no reason to think this field day would end any differently than the past years
My classmates had total confidence that I would bring home the blue ribbon to our class
And they were all too happy to announce to competing classes
We will win the 50-yard dash this year - Daniel is on our team!
This was my identity
So there I was at the starting line of the final race
I was in the middle lane … I looked to the right and then back to the left …
What's this … a new face … someone I had never raced before …
Jerry Cantrell was the new kid - a new competitor & he was 2 lanes down from me
The PE teacher blew the whistle and we were off !!
It didn't take long for me to realize something about this new kid Jerry
He was fast … very fast!
… and as we approached the midpoint of the race the crushing thought of possible defeat was a real possibility
How could I let down my classmates ??
How would I handle this situation ??
Well ... I decided I would do what any respectable, honorable young man would do...
I decided I would FALL and FAKE an injury
That's right, at that moment, I decided that trying my best and losing was simply not an acceptable outcome
and that having an EXCUSE for why I lost was the better alternative
So I quickly began to scan the horizon. I was looking for the perfect opportunity...
to FAIL.
I needed to find a rock
And I found it
I ran full speed and stepped onto the rock and I fell … and I rolled ... dirt flew-up and the race ended …
The debate quickly began among classmates of who would have won had I not had this untimely fall
But I knew the answer ...
Jerry came up to me after the race and said...
I had you … I was going to beat you!
All I could do is shake my head in agreement
He was right.
But what was worse…
the painful, untold truth
I was a quitter
Scared to give it my all and lose
Scared to let down my friends and classmates
Scared to lose my identity and title as the fastest kid in the school
If you look for and focus on finding an excuse
YOU WILL FIND IT
If you focus on the competition and not running your race
YOU WILL LOSE
Stay focused on your lane
Run your race
WIN LOSE OR DRAW
GIVE IT YOUR ALL !!
Otherwise, you will live with regret and pain much greater than any “loss”
LETS ROLL
Head of Marketing | Specializing in strategy, brand, content marketing, and growth | Driving ROI through strategic campaigns | B2B marketing expert | Mom X5 | Ironman Finisher
5 年So easy to find an excuse! Love this article!
Research Laboratory Manager - Certified Electron Microscopy Technologist - High Resolution Electron Microscopy Facility
5 年Daniel Allison , such a beautiful heartfelt story! ALWAYS live your life in authenticity!????????
We see this more often than we realize.? There was a fabulous episode of the Andy Griffith show where Opie felt like you going into the race.? He lost.? While he didn't fake an injury, he did pout/sulk afterward.? Not sure if this will post but here is a YouTube clip beautifully illustrating why it's important to give it our best:?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4moswaa7_M
Connector
5 年Wow.? The truth is that we all have done this.? I teach my kids to know that it is better to lose and work harder and beat yourself the next race than to self-sabotage on this current race.? Thanks as my kids will understand this SO, SO well.
Author of "Life's a Trip" |Whole Health Coach| Personal Trainer
5 年What a great analogy!! Self-sabotage often flies under the radar. I have been guilty of it, in retrospect. You are so spot on, when we look for reasons to fail, even in advertently, we will find them. When we look at the lessons that we will learn by going through the process, whether we win or not, we can walk away with the understanding that we have an opportunity for growth… And always have another chance to win. Great article Daniel Allison!!