This Monday morning I want to share a story from AWAL contributor Jill Farmer:
“One of my earliest mentors in TV news, Kevin Cooney, just retired, and his producer shared a cool story.
Kevin encouraged his producer to try running a 5K for the first time.
On race day, not too far into the run, overwhelm and discouragement set in for the producer. Kevin came back and joined her and said, “I’m with you all the way. You walk, I walk. You run, I run.”
That stalwart support in the face of uncertainty and exhaustion inspired the first time 5K-er to complete the race without walking a step. Kevin’s a great guy. This story speaks to his character, for sure.
And, I think it speaks to something even bigger…
Another friend recently wrote about her military son having a really challenging time with a run he was required to do for a fitness test.
He’s not a natural runner, and about halfway through the test, he realized his pace was too slow to pass. So he slowed down to a trot. One of his superior officers came over, (he feared to yell at him.) Instead, he took off his jacket and started jogging alongside my friend’s son.
He said, “We can pick up the pace.”
My friend’s son, running side-by-side his commanding officer, finished and passed his test.
I was touched by both of those stories (not because I’m a runner–those days are gone in the name of knee preservation).
Having somebody join us when were trying something new, doing something that feels hard, or creating a new pattern for ourselves, can make ALL the difference.
Obviously, in both of these stories, the runners could’ve just told the people who showed up to run alongside them,
“Forget it. I’m done.”
The runners still had to be the ones who dug deep and stuck with it.
But, it was sure a lot easier and more meaningful to have someone by their side.”
Jill’s story made me think of a trio of close friends I know at a BIG firm. That’s what they do for each other. Neither is alone.
Law is a marathon broken up by sprints. This week find your own person to have by your side. Someone with ideas, resources, and support to help you make the changes you want in key aspects of your life.
Jill offers this support with her FreshStart program, as do I and the other coaching professionals contributing to AWAL. There are also the lawyer counselors at your local LAP program.
When the going gets tough, don’t go it alone.
