Monday, May 05, 2014

A Simple Phrase

We badly underestimate the power of a simple phrase.

It happened to me again the weekend at a Highland Games.  I turned in my usual performance i.e. relatively consistent for me but vastly behind the performance of everyone else.  I do not throw for competitiveness except against myself, but I am sure that to those watching it is something of a mystery why I am throwing with everyone else on the field.

Near the end of the day on of my fellow competitors - A guy whose athletic abilities are super good now and with practice will only get a lot better - says, kind of out of the blue, "You are one of my favorite competitors out here."

Boy, that will sure make a guy's day.  In fact, that will pretty much make a guy's week.

9 simple words.  They did not cost him anything to say - other than the sincerity that he had behind them when he said them.  But they were worth a million dollars to me - not just then, but all the way on the 3 hour drive home and then throughout the day yesterday as well.  And, I am pretty sure, throughout this week as well.

We badly underestimate the power of a simple phrase.  The more important question is, what are we going to do about it?

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