Spectators vs Participants

Isn?t it amazing how so many people want more out of life, but they are not willing to do what it takes to get it?

They have to wait and see what happens first, or see what happens for others, before they take the plunge and dive in for themselves. A reasoning I cannot understand. And even when it happens for others, they say it?s luck or find some excuse. Yes, I call it an excuse, for the success others achieved, like they are educated, they come from this or that background, they are slim, they know more people, they are well connected, they have money, they are black, white or blue ... whatever!

This group of people I call ?Spectators?. You know them. It?s YOU. You sit on the stands watching the players or participants get involved and take action. ?Participants? are totally opposite to spectators, in that they go out there, take all risk but with an attitude to win, and win big. They don?t see failure. They see challenges and hurdles that they can overcome and find solutions.

Spectators, on the other hand, watch everything play out in front of their eyes and have the gall to say how the game should be played, how the life of the participants should be played, what a participant should or should not do, when, where, how, and with whom. Participants sitting on their high seat know it all. They are the experts on everything and unwilling to admit they know nothing or not enough of any one thing.

Participants, on the other hand, are not afraid of getting themselves dirty, falling, getting bruised and getting back up again. They have a determination to make it, to win for themselves and the team and to represent against all odds, for odds are seen as opportunities.

Losses are seen as the price to pay for greater success because just when you may think of despair or giving up, or you may be at your lowest, that?s when the doors of success are right before you waiting to be opened.

In life, we need spectators and participants. There must be a balance, I guess. Not everyone is strong enough, disciplined enough ? believe in themselves enough ? to know that there is more; that they deserve more and can achieve more. They have been told by others that they can?t and it won?t work. When you surround yourselves with other spectators, what else do you expect to be? Another spectator! It just makes logical sense.

When a spectator decides he or she wants to win and takes action to make a change and move away from the flock, they are seen or stigmatised as better than others, greedy, have too much ambition, or just plain deviant and selfish! Isn?t that interesting? In other words, misery loves company. Stay with us spectators. This is where nothing can hurt you, but it is also the place where nothing can happen for you either!

Look at it this way. If you are out of the box, you may get what you want, but if you stay in the box, you definitely won?t get what you want. Think on that and make the decision today to win!

n Corine La Font is a self-publishing, online marketing and virtual events specialist and consultant. She is also an award-winning publishing resource in the 2013 Small Business Book Awards. Get a copy of her book at http://amzn.to/TFHQka, tune in to her radio programme at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/helpdeskja and subscribe to her newsletter at http://bit.ly/KtnkCx . She can be reached at corine@helpdeskja.com.