...i gEt bY wiTh a LittLe heLp fRoM mY fRiEnDs...

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, "It is a sublime thing to suffer and be stronger." I get to see people suffer and fight to finish something that they don't HAVE to finish all the time at work. No one is holding them there against their will. It isn't their job and they certainly don't get paid to do such hard work. In fact, it's quite the opposite. THEY pay money for the opportunity to struggle and suffer and become stronger than they were the day before. It's always so interesting to both watch and participate in WODs (Workout Of the Day) at Crossfit gyms. There is a sense of individual competitiveness that is intermingled with teamwork and a desire to see everyone do their best. When one person succeeds in our gym, I think we all feel like we've won. It doesn't matter whether you are first or last, there is a respect that is earned when you've worked that hard to finish.This morning I watched as people that were already finished with a grueling workout, encouraged and coached their friends that were still working. I heard Dale counting out 10 seconds of rest for Seth and then cheering him on through the next few reps until he needed more rest. I watched Rick standing outside on the curb, drenched in sweat, exhausted himself...yelling for Lorie as she ran across the "finish line" and telling her what a good job she did. As I stood there waiting for the last person to finish, Brad came out of the gym and said to Rick, "I'm thinking about running out to meet Seth and help him finish this last run." I said, "He would do that for you." And Brad said, "I know.", turned to Rick, and said, "You wanna go?". Rick nodded and said "Yeah!" without hesitation, and off they went. Not one person drove away from that parking lot until EVERYONE was finished and they all praised and congratulated each other as they walked out the door.It is amazing how much faster you can go...how much more you can lift...and how much longer you can last when you have people there to remind you that you can do more than you think you can. Having this kind of support is like having a "safety net" under you. It gives you the confidence to do more, because you know there are people...friends...that care about you and are there to help you. I am reminded on days like today, that it doesn't matter how little money I make or how bad I hate waking up at 4:30 AM for work sometimes. What matters, is that I get to be surrounded by people like this every day...people that I truly consider my friends.