“You raise me up so I can stand on mountains, you raise me up to walk on stormy seas, and I am strong when I am on your shoulders, you raise me up to more than I can be.” -Brendan Graham (words to the song he composed called “You Raise Me Up”)

I wrote recently about something that helped me win 1st place for women in several 5K’s.

To read the story on that strategy: see post titled: Heartbeat.   

However, there was one more strategy I always used to win races, although at the time I didn’t really think about it. 

I didn’t think about it because it seemed so natural…

As natural, in fact, as running with my brother, Joseph. My brother was always faster than me. Since I usually trained with him, I always felt really slow. What I did not realize was that trying to keep up with him made me faster than if I had gone at it alone. 

When race day would come, I would many times beat the other females/runners and I know it correlated with who I was running with during practice.

People Factor Defined

The “people factor” strategy is simple. It is what I describe as getting around people (example above my brother) on purpose so they can influence (through habits and traits) you and speed up your progress toward your dreams and goals.

Examples

Sports team with one exceptional player who brings the team or skill level up no matter what team the player is on.

People who hang out with wise people and get more wise. 

People who hang out with angry people all the time, and pretty soon get angry (not a positive).

This Year…

What goals and dreams do you want to reach? Who will you be “running” with to help you reach them?

These people can come in many forms:

1. An actual person or group of people  

  2. People only accessible through their content such as a book (even audio if reading is not your preference), blog, or educational video.

  3. AI (just kidding but who knows). lol

Helpful List

I like to make a list of the areas I need to grow in. Besides each area I put down the people or information I will be covering for each category.

For example last year one area in my life that I wanted to excel in was getting stronger after recovering from two wrecks. To this end, I joined a gym. I have never lifted weights on a bar in my life. So I got a personal trainer for a few sessions to learn form. I am also hanging with people physically fitter than I am and listening to their suggestions. Just being around people lifting raises the bar for where I think I should be.

One thing I have realized happens when reaching further distances is you have to be willing to be uncomfortable. To get around people or in groups that really push you. A lot of times unless we are humble we can’t learn from others and show up in situations that we genuinely don’t know anything about. 

Also everyone has strengths and weaknesses. We have to be willing to not only get around those pulling us higher in areas but realize others might want to get around us to reach further as well. 

In fact, when we learn from each other, one day we can reach our mountain top dream, or pass the stormy times in our life, or become stronger because of the shoulders we are standing on of those who

“raise”

us up in our race of life to be

“more than” (we) “can be.”