Monday, August 18, 2008

Get The Back Story


One of the things I have enjoyed about this year's Olympic games is hearing the back story of the athletes. I find myself enjoying the stories almost as much as the games themselves. Whether it be the overwhelming odds that an athlete has had to overcome or the passionate pursuit of an Olympic dream, each athlete has a back story. It's the back story that allows you to see them for who they are as individuals, not just as the athlete.

NBC has done a great job of sharing a wide variety of stories about athletes from across the globe. Whether it be the former Russian gymnast Oksana Chusovitina who left her country to get her son treatment for Leukemia and now competes for the German team or our own Dara Torres who at age 41 is defying odds and winning medals. It's the stories that grab your attention, tug at your heart and make us invested as an audience. The human drama of which each athlete has had to endure at some level to get to the Olympics is not only fascinating but is inspiring and motivational.
Point To Ponder:

We all have a back story ya know? Every single person you have in your life has hopes, dreams, personal triumphs, etc.. In order to be an effective connector it's your job to dig deeper and discover the back story. It's the back story that often gives you the biggest insight into the people you want to get to know or just get know better.

3 comments:

thomsinger said...

Steve-

this is a powerful point. We all forget when we meet people that there is more to their story than our conclusions we jump to from what we see and hear upon a first meeting.

The cliche "Don't judge a person until you have walked a mile in their shoess" is very true. The experiences a person has that one does on see on the surface has heavy influence on who they are inside.

This is why asking questions and listening to others (something you do a great job of helping others accomplish) is so important to creating real realtionship, understanding and "ripples"

Steve Harper said...

Thanks Thom for your comment. I appreciate your feedback and insight more than know.

And of course my questioning and listening skills have been helped by watching you my Some Assembly Required networking master work your magic.

Ripple On My Friend!

Anonymous said...

Steve,

I like to look at this from the point of view of the thin threads that bind us....Not only do people have back stories, but the thin threads that put them where they are today are amazing...one slight change and it could all be different.

The thin thread that led me to this page could have been lost...

Thanks for giving us thoughts to ponder each day!

Kevin