I ran cross country in high school. In my senior year I was the fastest runner, leading the team. If I knew then what I know today I would have been a better leader and ran even faster. Cross country running is a team sport, most people don’t realize that.
Often the team has competitors within it that forget who the real competition is. They drive negativity within the team. The natural reaction is fear, anger – and the desire not to work with them. The Star Wars character Yoda said a few things about fear, anger, hate leading to suffering: well the opposite of suffering is pleasure – ironically it often comes from an individual’s response to suffering. You can let fear, angst and anger drive you or you can respond with love and a positive mental attitude: PMA. So instead reach out and help them, you may not change things, but you will ultimately help yourself more than if you let them get to you. A little verse from experience:
As you run, have fun and know it’s not a team of one – forget about the rest, let go of stress by releasing the best – in you. Then remember the others, be there for one another, after the starting gun, the faster they run the more you will all have fun. And you will run smart because it comes from the heart, creating the energy you get from the pleasure of accomplishment. 