Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Spectator or Action Taker

"The Great Blondin." was a stunt performer or "daredevil." His speciality was tightrope walking. His real name was Jean Francois Gravelot. Blondin was quite a showman. People travelled a long way to see The Great Blondin perform. He made sure they got their money's worth. He would begin his stunts by talking to the audience and working them into a frenzy.

One particularly spectacular stunt was his attempt to cross the Niagra River on a tightrope. Before he set off, he yelled to the crowd, "Do you believe that I, the Great Blondin, can successfully cross high above this river on a tightrope?" And the crowd yelled back, "We believe! We believe!" Then Blondin began his crossing, and to the thrill of the crowd, he made it safely. The crowd went wild. They clapped and cheered and yelled for more.

Then Blondin asked the people, "Do you believe that I, The Great Blondin, can again successfully cross over the Niagra River on this tightrope -- this time while pushing a wheelbarrow?" The crowd enthusiastically yelled back, "We believe! We believe! We believe!"

So seeing their enthusiasm, Blondin yelled to the crowd: "Who among you is willing to ride inside of the wheelbarrow and allow me to push you as I cross on this tightrope?" The crowd went silent. Not one person volunteered. I believe that eventually his manager volunteered to go in the wheelbarrow, and Blondin successfully pushed him across the tightrope.

Thoughts:

There are various versions of this story, each claiming to be the authentic one. I believe that the incident took place, but cannot vouch for the authenticity of this version! It is great to have your supporters, but know when push comes to shove you will have to depend upon yourself first, and possibly those that depend upon you second. So often in life our friends appear to be giving us the support that we need, until it comes down to the crunch of actually taking action themselves to help. at those times you need a strong belief in yourself. That is something that sessions with a professional coach can help you with. 

If you want to build your self-belief, why don't you contact me and together we will move you to new heights while still maintaining your balance.

Eric Sutherland

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