It takes team effort to be successful

Diana Nyad  is a 64 year old woman and now the first woman to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage and to make it safely. She accomplished her amazing life goal after many false starts but her drive and determination caused her to never give up chasing her dream.  Her immediate comments as she  walked out of the water were: "We should never ever give up.  You are never too old to chase your dreams.  And three, it looks like a solitary sport, but it's a team effort."

Some people are more driven to fulfill their dream than others yet I do believe that if you have a strong desire or dream, then it was given to you for a purpose.  For Diana, she didn’t  want to reach the end of her life and regret not having given everything of herself to make her life worthwhile." Two miles from the end of the swim, Diana stopped in the water to address her support crew as she said:  "This is a lifelong dream of mine and I'm very very glad to be with you," she told her team, according to an update on her website. "Some on the team are the most intimate friends of my life and some of you I've just met. But I'll tell you something, you're a special group. You pulled through; you are pros and have a great heart. So let's get going so we can have a whopping party."

Diana acknowledged her support team.  She wanted them to know that she appreciated their efforts because in truth, they too had to struggle and work hard to keep her on the straight path. Let us not forget that it takes a team of dedicated and trustworthy people to help us through life.  Call it a support team, your family members or co-workers.  When we all stick together for a common reason and purpose we reach a more perfect outcome. You need to build a community of like-minded people who are willing to go the extra distance because they believe in you.   In our business, we understand that if we want to be successful, we must have a dedicated and knowledgeable team of like-minded people working with us.  No man is an island.  It takes group effort and participation to create greatness. You may be the leader or the boss but that doesn’t make you any more special then any other person on the team. I for one wear about 10 different hats because the work needs to be accomplished. I also ask those who work with us to do any tasks that are needed at that moment in time.  We may need to lean a new skill but that doesn’t stop us from making progress—in the end you will discover as I have that all the new skills that have been learned are rungs on the ladder that you are building and when your ladder is complete and you arrive at the top of your mountain you will most definitely look back with wonder, amazement and delight.

In Diana’s example, yes she is the one who performed the feat.  She did the swimming and expended all that energy but she could not have been successful if she didn’t have her support team supplying her with feedback, encouragement, direction, and nourishment.  It is unfortunate that most people will never fulfill their dream because they give up to soon and they lose the self-confidence, discipline and work ethic needed to make their dream a reality. 

Let us not forget that each one us needs that same support, encouragement, direction and nourishment to prosper and fulfill our greatness.  So I encourage you to chase after your dream and never give up.  Find a community that you can surround yourself around and nurture it, express your gratitude and appreciate to your team players and keep your focus because your greatest joy is just around the corner. 

Joan Marie Ambrose

Author, Creative Writer, Motivational Speaker