It Matters If They Win, Too
It’s not just about me.
It’s not just about you.
It has to matter to us that it’s also about others.
This is what I heard in The Boys in the Boat as I was reading it. It’s the story of nine boys-to-men from the University of Washington as they entered the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
Listen to author Daniel James Brown:
“What mattered more than how hard a man rowed was how well everything he did in the boat harmonized with what the other fellows were doing. And a man couldn’t harmonize with his crewmates unless he opened his heart to them. He had to care about his crew. It wasn’t just the rowing but his crewmates that he had to give himself up to, even if it meant getting his feelings hurt.
Pocock paused and looked up at Joe. ‘If you don’t like some fellow in the boat, Joe, you have to learn to like him. It has to matter to you whether he wins the race, not just whether you do.’”
Isn’t this true for all us humans?
If we’re not fond of some fellow passenger in the boat, we can still care about their well-being, their journey, their heart.
Can we let it matter to us whether others win the race, too, not just whether we do?
Let’s care about our crew today.
* * *
Are there people in your boat that get on your nerves? How do you handle your irritation? Please share in the comments.
revised from the archives
Wonderful, Lisa. Short. Simple. Sweet. Memorable. Powerful. Ah, then, the question is: Do we want everybody to win the race? Many don’t, sadly. They’d just as soon as “throw the man overboard,” thinking that if the weight is lighter, it will be easier for the ones in the boat to win. But not so in the example you have provided, and frankly, not so in life. I wish more people would realize that. When we diminish and dismiss others, we, ourselves are diminished. Eventually we will all go down if we don’t row together!
Love you, and thank you for sharing this timely example of team spirt and love.
xo
Lynn
Timely Post, Lisa. I am dealing with a team mate who is very difficult to talk to. Thanks.
Amen, Lisa! This is such a true and uplifting post here today. We must care about how our other team mates are faring in this journey called life. We don’t have to like them, but we do need to show them love, dignity and respect as Jesus would have us do. Otherwise, no one wins.
Blessings!
I’m leading a hotdog and prayer ministry for six weeks in every season. The group of people that have come together has worked together so beautifully – in their care for each other and in the care they extend from diverse situations and walks of life. You are so right – each team member has to care about how the other is doing – and that makes the team work seamlessly together. Sometimes new people join in not having experienced that kind of support before and it takes a while for them to et their “sea legs” and trust. Your post is perfectly timed right now.
I loved that book Lisa. I learned a great deal from it!
I love this book, having read it 2x and seen the movie twice, too. Thank you, friend, for pulling out this bit of life wisdom from its pages. Let’s care about the crew God’s built into our lives. Let’s love them well and with respect and kindness.
Easter blessings to you. He is risen indeed. And that’s why we can live like that.
Love your thoughts, Lisa. And I loved the book, too. I read it a few years ago and was impacted by the attitudes of the men. Truly excellence in competition isn’t about the winning. It’s about bringing out the best in you and your opponent. And to do that we must care about others; we must love our neighbor as ourselves.
LOVED the book and the movie, and you are absolutely right—we can’t just bail out of the boat and still win the race!
That was a wonderful movie, too, and wonderful message. Let’s lift each other up, encourage, and do our best together!
Amen! Being kind & caring for one another is so important Lisa. No we don’t have to necessarily like every team-mate on board but we do need to show them respect, care & kindness, which creates caring Ripples throughout the team. And if we get to hear their story we may just end up liking them too! Happy Easter…
Blessings, Jennifer
I read that book too and found it so inspiring. and you found a great quote to share from it. What a lesson to carry in our hearts and let that one “ripple”
I absolutely loved the book!! And your selection here is such an important truth. Thank you for sharing! It’s a great reminder. Visiting today from the Crazy Little Lovebirds linkup.
Lisa, great message! I actually want to see the 2023 movie; I still haven’t gotten around to it. A few people are in my boat, and trigger a few nerves. I honestly needed this message. Thank you for sharing at the Crazy Little Lovebirds link party.
This is such a beautiful and timely reminder. Love isn’t just about cheering for your own race — it’s about rowing in a way that lifts others, too. Thank you for sharing something that speaks straight to the heart. This one will stay with me.
Yes, this is so true. you’ve encompassed this big truth in a small space. So beautifully spoken my friend.
Thanks bunches for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friends this month dear friend.