I am watching a video of Devon Bieling a young woman from Atlanta who rolls her way past the finish line after collapsing just 12 yards before finishing Tunnel Vision Marathon in North Bend, Washington.
As I watch this video I am thinking of a word, Effort.
Effort is a meaningful word with hardly any thought given to it in our privileged living. Somehow, the word has lost the meaning and sadly we are not even aware of it. Hard to believe that we are not aware of it correct?
Let us try and understand this a bit better
If our children express verbal interest ( there is a reason why I have defined this interest as verbal interest ) in something. For example, sports.
Singing them up for competition is easy. No or minimal effort required. So we are quick to do that.
Buying apparel, shoes, equipment is easy. No or minimal effort. So we are quick to do that.
Organising coaching services. No or minimal effort. So we are quick to do that.
But what about the most important thing, Effort. Effort from the child and some cases from parents too.
Of course, self drive is a prerequisite to this effort required.
Effort seems to be the most important yet mostly missed ingredient. I have for sure failed at this on many occasions.
There are several other areas in our privileged lives that demonstrate how we miss effort
It is easy to sign up for an online course but hard to finish.
It is easy to buy a book but hard to read.
It is easy to be entertained by culture but hard to understand it.
It is easy to connect online but hard to connect in person.
It is easy to go to the most expensive school but hard to study.
The later in all the above examples requires effort and as humans we do not default to anything that requires effort.
Sports, in my view, is a great way to learn effort. Only effort can get you ready for a marathon hey!
Because unlike many other fields, in sports you are right there in the arena, in front of the public eye doing what it takes. No editing, No second takes, No likability, No favouritism just effort counts.
When Malavath Poorna became the youngest girl in the world to climb Mount Everest she had only one thing with her, Effort.
Effort is not for Sale but people like Devon and Poorna don’t need to worry because it is not a purchase they seek to make.
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