I received a few notes from friends this week that really shook me up.
They shook me up in a good way. They were notes from women who’ve been encouraged by the stories I’ve been sharing on the blog lately. I felt like they just banded together, out of nowhere, to cheer me on and remind me why I do what I do.
Sometimes when we are so close to the finish line, or close to a breakthrough, we want to quit. Our vision is blurry and we have trouble seeing the good we’ve done along the way. We just feel tired and a little beat up. We want to throw in the towel, to give up.
We feel alone.
Last year I got to hear Diana Nyad tell the story about her swim from Cuba to Florida. She remembered the jellyfish stings, the cold, the aches, the pain, the swelling, the shark infested waters, and the long dark nights. But, I’ll never forget how clearly she recounted the moment she could finally see the sun shining on the shore in the distance and knew she was going to make it. In the end, she made one thing very clear.
What got her across that ocean was her team.
The people in the boat beside her, who were committed to her success. They were committed to the goal yes, but only because she was committed to the goal. They cheered her on all along the way. They watched for sharks, cleared the water of jellyfish, and fed her. They did whatever was necessary to make sure she was healthy and kept swimming.
It’s a beautiful picture of friendship.
Every now and then we all encounter a long, dark night, hopefully minus the jellyfish stings. We have to endure the harsh elements along the way.
I was reminded again this week, that we don’t do it alone.
We all need our team.
We need our friends to cheer us on. It may just be a thoughtful text, an email or a phone call. Sometimes it’s friend showing up at our door unannounced. We might even need them to stay up all night with us, painting a sign, Holly Collins.
And that’s what a team does.
That’s what a friend does.
I’m wondering today, if you have a friend who needs to be carried for a little while. I’m wondering if you’re on someone’s team who might need a little encouragement.
Maybe she needs a reminder that she’s making a difference. Maybe she needs a cheerleader. Maybe she just needs someone to sit with her in the dark to remind her that she’s not alone.
Will you?
Will you stop what you’re doing right now and call her?
Will you give up your favorite TV program tonight to take her to dinner?
Today, what the world may need from you the most is to encourage a weary friend.
Will you do it?
I can speak from experience this week.
It’s like water in the desert.
You could be the difference between quitting in the dark night and seeing the sunrise on the shore in the morning.
Do it.
To more Love!
Crystal
#YourTurnChallenge #Day4
