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Monday Motivating Moment

August 30, 2004

Your Weekly Attitude Booster

A Lesson Learned From Special People

This week's motivational message was written by Mike Ott, my brother-in-love (law). Way to go Mike... your message touched my heart. Thank you!

A Lesson Learned From Special People

Lately I've been wondering who are "the people" and what right do they have labeling other people. For example, one day I overheard two people talking about someone across the supermarket aisle who was mentally challenged. I looked across the aisle and saw a young boy with Down's Syndrome. Most people I've know with Down's Syndrome may be a little slow learning, but they are some of the most polite and caring people I know. I thought about this label that "the people" had tagged on this young boy, and I remembered an article that I read several years ago about a Special Olympics event.

In the article, one of the events was a race in which half a dozen children with Down's Syndrome competed. It began like any other race, the gun went off and the children started running their hearts out. They were running side-by-side. Then, over half way to the finish line one child tripped. As he fell down, he skinned his knee and rolled over a couple of times. Then he just sat there on the ground. He was devastated.

Then it happened - as the other children were running, one by one they slowed down as they noticed that one of their competitors was missing. Before any of the runners reached the finish line, they all had stopped and turned around to see their fallen competitor. All of them slowly walked back to where he sat on the ground. They bent down and patted him on the shoulder, trying to comfort him. They then helped him up, dusted him off, and hugged him. These "mentally challenged" kids, with arms across each other's shoulders formed a line and triumphantly proceeded to cross the finish line together, amongst a cheering crowd!

I read this and just said, "Wow!" I wondered, "couldn't 'normal' people learn a lesson or two from these young athletes." Just imagine how much better a company would be if everyone cared for each other and worked together to reach a common goal, just as those runners did. Think of what a difference it would make if co-workers, instead of pushing each other out of the way to get to the top, actually helped each other to be the best they could be. Just like in that race, you wouldn't have just one #1, but several. This would certainly destroy the old cliche, "It's lonely at the top" and make it easier on the ones who are in the top positions.

Wouldn't the employees be more loyal to a company who cares? Like in the race, if one employee falls, and that employee knows that his or her co-workers are there to help, then the company is viewed not as an employer but as a family, and therefore creates more loyalty in the people included in that "family."

There are many other lessons to be learned from these "mentally challenged" people, not only in the business world, but also in everyday life. One thing I have discovered is that life's simple lessons seen in action make a bigger and longer lasting impression, like the story of the runners.

Affirmation for the Week:

“I open my eyes to see only the good in others. I support caring teamwork at home and at work, and I encourage each person to share his or her unique talents.”

Have a mind-opening week!

Mary Rau-Foster,

Copyright 2004 by Mary Rau-Foster. All rights reserved.
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