Compete or Empower

The other day I overheard a pairof friends making fun of another girl at the gym. This innocent girl was justgoing about her business and for some unknown reason these girls felt the needto mock her. Were they jealous? Insecure? Bored? Doesn’t matter! I was sobothered by their crudeness that I decided they shouldn’t get away with it.While I didn’t say what I wish I could’ve, I politely told them that they shouldkeep their comments to themselves and focus on their own workout. The quoteabove immediately popped into my head and I began to think about just howinfluential it could be if people actually applied it. We don’t always realizehow detrimental our little comments or looks can be to someone else. People areso quick to criticize, judge, or jump on the gossip train. We see thisunnecessary competition all the time and it is not just from the youngerpopulation.

This dog eat dog world has becomemore than just a competition but a destructive race. Some nerve people have tobring others down just to make themselves feel better. Probably one of the mostrelevant examples for those of you reading this, are the childish behaviors wesee in regards to someone else’s physical appearance, workout style, you nameit. Just because someone is not as fast, strong, or as in shape as you, doesnot mean that it is an excuse to bring them down. Perhaps someone is not aswell educated on technique or maybe they are simply starting a new program.People end up finding a way to criticize these bystanders for what is reallytheir own ignorance. Our lacrosse team’s motto this year is all aboutempowering one another. We have come to believe in each other more thanourselves and it’s an indescribable feeling. I have never been a part of suchan inspiring, supporting group until this season. Everyone truly is out therefor each other and to raise one another up to become the best they can be. The immensepositivity and willingness to help each other translates to more than justphysical performance results but even more importantly, mental and emotionalimprovements. This can go a long way. Instead of belittling someone, think ofthe ways you can change your own actions to build them up. Until you havepushed yourself out of your comfort zone, you have no business being in others.The next time you catch yourself “competing” with someone in the wrong sense,think about what kind of good it is producing. Empower one another to make areal change.