When I was applying for a job recently, my dad’s advice to me was “If they don’t accept your application, phone them up and tell them that if they give you an interview they are guaranteed to want to employ you.” What an amazing boost to have someone put such – if I may say so - blind confidence in you! A strong support allows us to reach far higher than we otherwise could.
Yet perhaps the most important time to have that encouragement is when faced with failure. It is easy to win supporters when all goes well, but when plans come crashing down that is when we lean most heavily on those we are closest to. When I lose confidence in my own abilities, I need someone else, like my dad, to inspire me to keep on going.
“A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success”
This video is old but it really inspired me. Derek Redman was in top condition in the 1992 Olympics, and likely to win a medal. He only had one chance to prove himself. When he pulled his hamstring, it must have been heartbreaking.
I think this clip is an amazing picture of a father’s unfaltering support of a son. Without a doubt, Derek Redman’s father must have been as devastated as his son, but he knew that at that moment his son needed above all to know that he hadn’t lost his father’s trust. I hope this teaches me to be more of an encourager. Not empty flattery. But genuine, heartfelt trust and affirmation. It could be the difference between someone finishing the race or not.
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