Recognizing Someone's Accomplishments

By Author: Andrew Bui
Total Articles: 1224
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A clever relative of mine recently asked me the question, "If you can feel good about recognizing a virtue in a friend of yours, wouldn't it also be conceivable for you to feel the same way if you recognized the same virtue in a foe?"

To say that it got us thinking is to say the least. It really pricked my heart, making me wonder for the first time what existence would be like if everyone could see other people that way.

What would it mean if competing people, groups, or organizations could understand the accomplishments of their competitors? Instead of putting others down and making light of what they achieve, it fostered honest competition, making everyone do their utmost?

I have acquaintances who think that they are themselves diminished when they take the time to respect another person. But does it really? Is there something that anyone else does that could make us less? I think sometimes it can feel this way - if the perspective is that you are what you do, or what you don't do. But are we what we do? Or are our results only a statement of where we are, or where we are not yet?

If ...
... we take the effort to see what others might achieve and then recognizing it, amazing things can happen. If we take a glance around, everything we have and experience is a result of someone's accomplishments - and we are able to experience richer and better facets of life, and ourselves, as a result. New records keep getting set and then beaten in something as normal as sports. Every time someone makes a new innovation or maximizes human potential, the possibilities for even greater outcomes are increased. This is to say that if we maintain the momentum that comes from human achievement, that momentum will take us onward and upward.

A friend of mine told me that he had a new way of looking at how to know when another person does a wonderful thing. I was told that a course provided by Keith Raniere's NXIVM group was what made the difference and provided this new understanding. He says it's helped him appreciate competition more, especially when he watches his team lose a match on TV - he's no longer a sore loser (and I can attest to this)!

When the other guy defeats us, does it make a difference when we appreciate how they got there? Can we turn lemons into lemonade by telling ourselves to do even better next time? The world would be a much better place to live if we could be happy when someone gives us another stepping stone on the path to greatness. A shift in perspective could be well worth exploring.
For more aspects regarding this article please visit Keith Raniere, Founder of NXIVM and Executive Success Programs. An alternate link for this is Nxivm.