Day 15 of Gratitude - Team NeighborLink
31 Days of Gratitude - In an attempt to publicly express my gratitude for the people that have impacted me in some way in 2015, I'm setting out to write one post a day sharing what I appreciate about them or what moment that marked me. Some of these people I know well, some I've only met, and some I'm just getting to know. There is no ranking to these posts and they aren't meant to put anyone on a pedestal. They, like you and I, are imperfect people with their own flaws, some you may have experienced. Despite those flaws, I believe we all need to have our positive characteristics called into light and celebrated. This is that attempt.
Team NeighborLink is my tribe. What started as an ideas to screen print "Love Your Neighbor" on some running shirts for a couple of guys that wanted to do an off-road triathlon and a half-marathon one summer has turned into one of the things that gives me so much life. Team NeighborLink is now a legitimate thing with 60 cyclists and triathletes, CrossFit athletes, and dozens of runners. It's a movement made up of people that believe athletics can include and even be more about bigger things than just winning, PRs numbers, or number of people involved. It blows my mind every time I think about just what has happened at Team NeighborLink in the past 5 years. My heart is full of gratitude because of the diverse community that gathers around a shared mission that being a neighbor, even within athletics, is worth investing in.
I've been into athletics since I was a kid but never really an athlete. I've gotten into a lot of different sports over the years, but there was always something missing for me. I always worked hard to only ever be mediocre at the sports I got into. It took a lot of years to be ok with this, but as I've grown older, I've learned that I'm quite alright being average because it's not the competition that brings me joy, it's the shared experiences. I'm never going to win anything and I've come to the realization that even if I did, it would only likely bring a temporary fulfillment. I want to suffer with others, enjoy the backroads of the country-side with others, and celebrate personal achievements no matter how big, small, or the results they did or didn't generate.
What I wanted is to do was bring the message that each and every one of us has the opportunity to incorporate more than ourselves within the things we invest our time in. For me and what has become a whole lot of other people, we are telling the story of NeighborLink in every t-shirt, running shirt, or cycling kit we wear at every workout. We create conversation about the love volunteers pour out in the form of raked leaves, new roofs, or the warm heat of a brand new furnace. We tell the story that each and every athlete has the opportunity to tell the narrative that there is more than sport to those athletes that are let down by failed expectations. We tell the story that there is always a team in their community that is far more concerned about relationships than PRs, wins, or sponsorship gains.
For this, I'm grateful.
As the director of a nonprofit that created an athletic team as a tool to generate new relationships as well as funds for my organization, I have to make tough calls. The tough call heading into 2015 was that if Team NL didn't raise $15,000 this year, I would have to pull back my time investment and let it go, which is not what I wanted to do, but is the tough call I was preparing myself to make. But, something happened this year and Team NL exploded with new members and people that wanted to raise money on our behalf. To date, over $18,000 has been donated or raised by our members or through our events. I'm humbled.
Tonight we celebrated the end of the year with about 20 members and it reminded me just how incredible this journey has been. What started out as a vision by a guy that isn't even really an athlete, an introvert, and not particularly persuasive, has turned into something that I really always hoped to be a part of. For everyone that calls themselves a Team NeighborLink athlete, bought our gear, or has participated in one of our events, thank you. I'm truly grateful for you, even if I don't really know you or haven't gotten to meet you yet. I appreciate you beyond what words can describe and likely more than you'd value it yourself. You don't have to support us, but you do and anyone that invests their time in creating positive experiences for others, is a friend of mine.
Team NeighborLink a highlight of my 2015.
