Capitalising on Support
Posted on Wednesday 6 June 2012 and filed under Maurice Thurman , Scrolls of Inspiration , Success Portal , . You can follow any responses to this entry through theRSS 2.0 . You can leave a response or trackback to this entry from your site
THE encouragement provided by positive feedback can be a significant aid to us in reaching the goals we have set for ourselves in life. We are all familiar with this concept and many of us have been fortunate enough to have experienced it. The positive support we encounter along the way, however small they may be are great help, which will motivate us to increase the chances of our success.
I am of the view that support falls into 3 different categories:
1) The “Well done, keep it up.” kind of spoken or written social commentary - easily identified and absorbed.
1) The “Well done, keep it up.” kind of spoken or written social commentary - easily identified and absorbed.
2) Comments made either directly or indirectly, implying but not openly stating that we are making significant progress towards our goal(s). We may need to make efforts to recognise these if we are to recognise and absorb them.
3) Occurrences or events that we can recognise as being an indication that we are making progress.
It is support fitting into the latter two categories that we often need to be more receptive towards. I will use examples from my own experience to illustrate instances of category 2 and 3 support; they relate to my undertaking of a solo crossing of the Sahara in a small two-wheel drive family car [Re: “Committed to Success” Sandhya Maarga Holistic Living Resources Holistic Living Annex (Volume 1, Issue 5 - JUN 2012 Edn)]
Having completed the actual sand crossing (the photo shows the ‘road’ prior to the crossing), the car had a seriously damaged suspension and several troublesome engine faults.
It was whilst re-fuelling at an Algerian garage that I gained some memorable Category 2 support. A lorry driver, with a state-of-the-art trans-continental all-wheel drive truck, walked over to me and asked “Where are you going?” and seemed very surprised when I told him London. I’m sure he was assuming I was heading south and was about to offer some advice regarding the potential hazards ahead. “Where have you come from then?” was his immediate response. He went on to tell me that he had seen all kinds of vehicles cross the desert, but never one like mine. After he had climbed back into his air-conditioned cab and driven off, I thought to myself, "It’s OK, you’re doing alright kid."
By the time I reached the Mediterranean car ferry operating from Algiers to Marsielle, the vehicle was in a sorry state so much so that it was refused permission to board the ship. It was seen as a possible safety risk. But I had overcome all other problems so far. I was doing “OK”. How could I let someone else's decision stop me now?!
So, I went on to find a port official to narrate my story to and persuaded him to let me drive him around the port area to prove that the vehicle still had some life left in it. The fact that I had to start the vehicle under the bonnet because sand had wrecked the ignition switch yelled FIRE RISK to him. I agreed to totally remove the battery from the car once the vehicle was onboard. A crew member would later allow me access the car deck a few minutes before other drivers so that I could re-fit the battery - This is Category 3 support pushed to its limit.
On arrival in Marsielle I was still over 1,000 miles from home and much of that journey would be on busy European roads. Being February, there would likely be snow and ice to contend with also. The journey ahead was not looking any more inviting than the desert. However, there are no memories of problems along the way, apart from the cold experienced due to the absence of a car heater.
It was my arrival at UK customs, having driven off the hovercraft ferry, which set the scene for a memorable instance of unspoken support. I had driven into the “Goods to Declare” section as I was importing a foreign registered car and had personal effects from 3 years of living abroad. I was expecting a long delay and thorough search of the vehicle. It was about about 8pm and I was tired and exhausted. I stood by the vehicle, resigned to my fate, whilst a customs officer approached. He asked where I had come from and what I had to declare. I told him I needed to declare the car and some personal effects, though nothing that required duty paying. He then walked around the vehicle, looked inside and asked me how far I had to go to get home. With still 200 miles to drive, he told me I should get on my way then and gave me some forms to fill in at home later to officially declare the vehicle.
Welcome home!
So you see, whenever you are reaching for a particular goal, look out for those stepping stones of support along your path. No matter how small they may be, be assured that they will support you and assist you along your way to success. It is part of your task to acknowledge them as they occur and make use of them as, no doubt, their donors intended.
Author: Maurice Thurman
Copyright © 2012 Sandhya Maarga Holistic Living Resources
Having completed the actual sand crossing (the photo shows the ‘road’ prior to the crossing), the car had a seriously damaged suspension and several troublesome engine faults.
It was whilst re-fuelling at an Algerian garage that I gained some memorable Category 2 support. A lorry driver, with a state-of-the-art trans-continental all-wheel drive truck, walked over to me and asked “Where are you going?” and seemed very surprised when I told him London. I’m sure he was assuming I was heading south and was about to offer some advice regarding the potential hazards ahead. “Where have you come from then?” was his immediate response. He went on to tell me that he had seen all kinds of vehicles cross the desert, but never one like mine. After he had climbed back into his air-conditioned cab and driven off, I thought to myself, "It’s OK, you’re doing alright kid."
By the time I reached the Mediterranean car ferry operating from Algiers to Marsielle, the vehicle was in a sorry state so much so that it was refused permission to board the ship. It was seen as a possible safety risk. But I had overcome all other problems so far. I was doing “OK”. How could I let someone else's decision stop me now?!
So, I went on to find a port official to narrate my story to and persuaded him to let me drive him around the port area to prove that the vehicle still had some life left in it. The fact that I had to start the vehicle under the bonnet because sand had wrecked the ignition switch yelled FIRE RISK to him. I agreed to totally remove the battery from the car once the vehicle was onboard. A crew member would later allow me access the car deck a few minutes before other drivers so that I could re-fit the battery - This is Category 3 support pushed to its limit.
On arrival in Marsielle I was still over 1,000 miles from home and much of that journey would be on busy European roads. Being February, there would likely be snow and ice to contend with also. The journey ahead was not looking any more inviting than the desert. However, there are no memories of problems along the way, apart from the cold experienced due to the absence of a car heater.
It was my arrival at UK customs, having driven off the hovercraft ferry, which set the scene for a memorable instance of unspoken support. I had driven into the “Goods to Declare” section as I was importing a foreign registered car and had personal effects from 3 years of living abroad. I was expecting a long delay and thorough search of the vehicle. It was about about 8pm and I was tired and exhausted. I stood by the vehicle, resigned to my fate, whilst a customs officer approached. He asked where I had come from and what I had to declare. I told him I needed to declare the car and some personal effects, though nothing that required duty paying. He then walked around the vehicle, looked inside and asked me how far I had to go to get home. With still 200 miles to drive, he told me I should get on my way then and gave me some forms to fill in at home later to officially declare the vehicle.
Welcome home!
So you see, whenever you are reaching for a particular goal, look out for those stepping stones of support along your path. No matter how small they may be, be assured that they will support you and assist you along your way to success. It is part of your task to acknowledge them as they occur and make use of them as, no doubt, their donors intended.
Author: Maurice Thurman
Copyright © 2012 Sandhya Maarga Holistic Living Resources
Holistic Living Annex (Volume 1, Issue 6 - JULY 2012 Edn)
7 Responses for “ Capitalising on Support”
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All of us need support along the way. The biggest support however is ourselves. Others can only support us when we support our own dreams. Everything else will come automatically.
I agree Jesse that we are our own greatest support and that our dreams are largely self-driven. I think we are fortunate enough to be able to rely on some 'automatic' support from others. My intention is simply to acknowledge that we should be able to recognize that support however it may be presented to us.
Very powerful way of practicing gratitude in our lives. To recognise the small little gesture of kindness is very important to keep us moving. Thank you Maurice!
Thanks for your support George. :)
Very beautiful stories Thurman. Do post more similar stories on your adventures. They are very inspiring.
Thank you Lillie. I try to write to reflect my belief that we should tread softly along our path through life. Though we may be attempting something physically challenging, we can gain much more from the experience if we do not adopt a mere conquest attitude.
Absolutely fantastic! I agree with you Maurice. At times, we are concerned with winning that we lose out appreciating the little things that make the journey beautiful. Can't wait for your next article!!