A Better Version of Me

Rowing crew at THE Ohio State University was one of the most intense sports I've ever been a part of. All the countless hours of relentless training culminated in gut-wrenching 3-4 minute Regattas (races) against other universities.

We would start by lining up our shell (boat) in the water next to all the other teams, we were only feet apart from each other, our oars practically touching theirs. We lined up against universities from all across the country, Georgetown, Wisconsin, and even that team up north, yuck! Rowing competitively is all about power, precision, and focus. Every oarsman in the boat needs to be in perfect sync with each other, a millisecond off is compounded by each following stroke. Even though our adrenaline was pumping and we were chomping at the bit to be unleashed we needed to maintain our focus! The whole time our eyes were locked in on the back of the head of the teammate in front of us, resisting the urge to look at the other teams and "sizing them up", as far as we were concerned we were the only ones in the water. The worst mistake anyone of us could have made was looking to see what the other teams were doing or how far ahead/behind they were. Looking around would have been disastrous, it very well could have thrown off the rhythm of the crew and could cause one to "catch a crab" (getting an oar stuck in the water and get knocked out of the boat (I've seen it happen!)). The race boiled down to us doing everything we could to beat our best time undistracted by what the other teams were doing, that truly was all that mattered and the only thing that was rewarded.

I've taken that lesson I learned...uhem...twenty years ago and have learned to apply it to every aspect of my life. I've made a commitment to focus on being a better version of myself regardless of what/how others may be doing. I don't compare my progress with anyone else, I'm focused on my own personal race and the degree to which I am improving and outperforming my own watermarks. I've also learned to tune out the unrelenting noise and distractions that one can easily get caught up with. For example, I don't watch the news, I haven't done so in years! Don't get me wrong, I still know what's going on in the world by briefly scrolling through the headlines online every day....and being quickly reminded that I'm not missing much.

By having fewer distractions and focusing on my own personal journey/race, I've found myself to be a happier person but also feeling more empowered in my life. My focus and goal expectations shifted to the things that are within my control. Nothing is more demoralizing or self-defeating than pinning my personal goals or self-worth on things that are beyond my control...it's a helpless feeling and one that I choose not to entertain.

I hope my reminiscing of my Ohio State Crew glory days resonated with you,...at the end of the day it's about working hard, being focused, shedding distractions, and not catching a crab!