Showing Up Trumps Where You Place

We were out of the house before 7am on a snow blown morning. My daughter was going to her first Junior Lifeguard competition. She was excited as she raced to the pool. Her enthusiasm was fantastic, even though she had expressed being a tad of nervous. Aren't we all a bit like that when we try something new? Some people even have fear. There can be a whole range of emotions. I believe this gives us our competitive edge. Enthusiasm, nervous energy, and practice channelled with focus offers peak performance.

As the events progressed, she became frustrated because she did not place as she had hoped. I listened attentively. Here was an opportune time for a lesson. When we try things for the first time, we cannot expect perfection. We need to strive for excellence by giving our best efforts. What matters most is that we "show up". How many people had the opportunity to compete? How many people actually did compete? You see, we all have opportunities that come our way but it is the choice to take action on those opportunities that makes the difference.


I went on to ask her if she had learned what she could do to improve her performance. She started to rattle off a list of things. If we reflect and review our performance, we can improve our game plan and our performance. It is important to learn from our lessons but far greater importance to look at our progress. Look at where you have come in the past year and how much you have grown as a person. Celebrate - You "showed up" and you are amazing!
I am proud of my daughter for "showing up", her accomplishments, and letting me share this lesson with you.

• Show Up

• Aim for Excellence, Not Perfection

• Give Your Best

• Reflect & Review

• Learn the Lesson

• Look at Your Progress

• Celebrate

We can be our own worst critic. Remember if you "show up", you have already gone further than those who chose not to. Showing Up Trumps All!

Sharing: One of the Greatest Lessons Learned from Kindergarten

If you knew your friend needed your help to achieve one of their goals, wouldn't you want to help them out? Do you think they would do the same for you? Have you told them what you need?

We were taught to share with others. It important to share your goals with others. When others are aware of your goals, they are better able to support and encourage you and you are better able to support and encourage them as well. Find an accountability partner or friend to remind you why you chose your goals in the first place and what the end result will look and feel like when times get weak. It is during those times that you need to look fear in the face and remind yourself you can achieve so many things if you believe in yourself, your talents, and your abilities. People want to help people succeed. They share in the triumph and glory when you reach your goal.

Remember no one can support you or help you achieve what you want if you don't share!