“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:11
In weight lifting, they call it a spotter — that person who supervises in order to help someone should they be unable to complete a lift. They are the “I got you” person. The one performing the lift knows they can trust the spotter to assist and encourage them while they do the hard work, offering valuable support along the way. The same also goes for other sports like climbing and gymnastics.
If you stop to think about it, every single one of us is a spotter for somebody else in this world. We all are the “I got you” person for some individual out there, providing vital moral support and advice along the journey of life. We each have been given the opportunity to be that trustworthy person who can help another person through the difficulties, and make certain they see the process through to the end.
But I wonder how seriously we take that obligation. Sometimes, even though we know we have a role to play in others’ lives, I don’t think we always embrace or appreciate it the way we probably should. We get busy with our own lives and caught up in the daily challenges we face ourselves, and forget the spotters who are there for us and those who we should be there for. It’s easy to just get lost in the hustle and bustle and fail to realize that the role of a spotter is sometimes the difference between success and failure. If the spotter doesn’t do their job, the person struggling to complete their task will fail.
Spotters are concerned with the safety of the athlete, the motivation of the athlete, the guidance of the athlete, the confidence of the athlete. They are the first one to the athlete’s side if danger is about to occur — quick to respond to the apparent distress if they are falling or struggling at any point. Spotters are important!
But the key to being a spotter is to be there to help only if needed. They provide reassurance without interference. They let the athlete do the work so they can grow in skill and confidence, while at the same time making sure the athlete knows, “I got you.”
So who is your “I got you” person? And who are the “I got you” person for?
Identifying the importance of the spotter role for both yourself and those around you is key. Don’t be the one who just helps when you remember to or shows up when you feel like it. Be the one who takes the position of “I got you” seriously. Let others know you have their back through everything! Make sure they know you can trust them and make sure they let you know you can trust them also. Don’t just say it — show it and mean it. You and others will be thankful you did.
— Katherine Singer
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