Martie_Taljard

I attended a rugby match between Western Force and the Blue Bulls at ME Bank Stadium in Perth on Saturday.

As ex-South-Africans Aussies we decided to support The Bulls, since they are my husband's favourite team and the one he supported whilst living in South Africa.

We decided to use public transport, a luxury we are still amazed with as this is non-existent in South Africa. It was interesting to watch all the supporters on the train and even the 400m walk to the stadium was interesting, watching various Force supporters and Bulls supporters in their team colours - all jovial and very excited wishing every 'mate' a great match!

The first half was a bit of a disappointment and this was good news for Western Force supporters. The Bulls weren't playing a good game and gave away a lot of points with a number of penalty kicks awarded to the Force, which they successfully converted into points.

The block which we sat in consisted completely of Force supporters - with only ourselves and one other couple shouting for the Bulls. (This proved to be daunting at times)

The lady sitting next to me (also a Bulls supporter) is such an avid supporter that every time Morne Spies missed when trying to either convert a try or a penalty, she blamed either the wind, jet lag or the fact that he is 'still on honeymoon'. She is an avid supporter, knows each player by name with all of their accomplishments, strengths, weaknesses and style of playing. It was an absolute delight watching her and listening to her. Her enthusiasm was contagious.

It was interesting to note the absolute joy on the Force Supporters' faces whenever a penalty was successfully converted. As is the norm with every game they found a lot of problems with the referee and felt his referee capabilities were questionable. Interesting how that same referee was admired when he blew against the Bulls. They went crazy and the noise emanating from the supporters was overwhelming.
Some people got extremely carried away and probably said things they regretted afterward - but this is typical of spectators at a match.

When we left the stadium you could visibly note the deflated ambiance - the Force supporters felt let down. Nonetheless, they remained true to and proud of their team. A number of them congratulated us on the win and it was a great feeling sharing our joy with everyone.

It made me think - this is true for life in general. There will be times when you support a venture/organisation/project wholeheartedly and irrespective of what happens, you will stay loyal, through all the ups and downs. The same is to be said for business. Some days you will have triumphant days but we cannot win every day! We need to acknowledge the small steps as victories on its own and not simply expect every day to be a major triumph. There will be times when you feel like there is no way you will emerge the victor - these are the times of growth and rapid expansion. This is when and where we learn to be innovative and think outside the square.

As with the players on these teams, it is important to surround yourself with 'avid supporters' who can carry you when you get despondent. Who believes in you no matter what and even when things don't work out as expected, they support you unequivocally and without question.

What are you doing to surround yourself with supporters? They need not be in your immediate area or from your immediate family or friends. In actual fact, in today's world you will most likely find they are scattered all over the world. Carefully select mentors in your group of supporters and allow them to be your soundboard. You will be amazed how helpful this is - especially if you are separated by distance. They are objective as they are not directly involved in your day to day issues, yet they understand your playing field and can therefore add invaluable insight.

No team can win without supporters. Wishing you a lifetime of avid supporters that will fight your cause, no matter what! Better yet, wishing you a lifetime of supporting others like yourself! They need supporter as much as you do.

"In the end, it's extra effort that separates a winner from second place. But winning takes a lot more than that, too. It starts with complete command of the fundamentals. Then it takes desire, determination, discipline, and self-sacrifice. And finally, it takes a great deal of love, fairness and respect for your fellow man. Put all these together, and even if you don't win, how can you lose?" - Jesse Owens

Martie Taljard is an Online Lead Generation Expert, Business & Life coach. Visit her blog for free tips, insightful & interesting articles.

She shares her expertise in growing business online at Lead Creation Is Easy. See you there!

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