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I root FOR people, I don't root against them.
I want everyone to win, I want them to find the best version of themselves and ride that success to victory. However, I'm not one of those everyone gets a trophy people. I believe firmly that hard Work should be rewarded and sometimes second place is pretty amazing in it's own right, plus it's an opportunity to evaluate the data and try again a little more educated and a lot more motivated.
As I reflect on the Super Bowl between the now World Champion Philadelphia Eagles, and the AFC Champion New England Patriots I learned a lot from watching the game and the ensuing celebration.
Everyone in the game is a person. They each have a story and a family. Outside of their "role" they have real emotions and are no different than you or I. I can empathize with the agony of defeat. It's not a feeling I wish on anyone.
So - I root for humanity.
As a spectator of the sport, I simply wanted to be entertained and of course would have liked New England to once again find the success they are capable of. This time however, the final prize eluded them, and nothing I could have done from my home would have helped.
Knowing my role helps me stay grounded. The best I can do is root harder. I have zero ability to influence the game beyond that. So when it comes to first and second place, I accepted either outcome.
The coaches have a true opportunity to bring success to the team, but ultimately it's up to the players to execute when it matters. The coaches and players are people, and I said before, I root for people, so I want them all to perform at their best.
What surprised me though, is the "friendly banter" that arises after most any sports contest. The sheer volume of people rooting for another person's failure surprises me. It's an unfamiliar place for me, but as I try to understand it, I step further away from that mindset. As we celebrate diversity, we must accept the fact that we will not all agree. In fact my wife of 23 years and I don't agree always, yet we respect each other throughout the process. The only person who agrees with me 100% of the time, is me. There have also been plenty of times where I've even changed my mind after I agreed with myself. ;)
The point of this however is to seek out the good. To parallel this to weight loss, I want you to win. At best, I can cheer you on. I will root for you and in no way will I ever root against you. I want you to succeed and if along the way we end up strongly disagreeing, I will part ways wishing you success.
I want you to perform at your very best, and in order to win, it doesn't mean someone else has to fail. For this journey, the trophy is available to all.
So as I explore this mindset deeper, it has me keenly focused on success, looking for the clues and celebrating when we win, comforting if we don't.
If your first response is to cheer for failure, you're doing it wrong!
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