I have never been on a rowing team, but I am fascinated by how it works. There are many similarities in rowing to life, work, marriage and relationships.

In a rowing team there is only one person (coxswain) who can see the goal line, the competition and direct the boat (scull) to the destination. All the rowers have their back turned away from the goal and focus solely on the instructions from the coxswain. Even though the coxswain never picks up an oar, he or she is the most important person in the boat and usually the races are won or lost depending how aware and adaptive the coxswain is and how they lead the crew.

In a rowing crew there are times when they row light (half pressure) and times when they give it their all (power 10.) One would think the rowers just give it their all straight off the starting line but that is not correct. They must get in a rhythm, and it doesn’t matter if they have been rowing together for a year. Evert race must get in its own rhythm, or it will veer off course. It is the coxswain’s main objective to get the crew in sync before they start pulling hard.

Work, life, marriage, relationships all have similar requirements. Imagine if a college rowing team were all giving instructions and commands at the same time. It would be a disaster. Such as in life, very few things are more smooth and sweeter than a couple, family or a team pulling together at the same speed and in the same direction. The boat (your life) will glide soother and straighter if there is an agreement on the same goal and moving in the same direction. Everyone doesn’t have to be the boss (coxswain) because everyone gets the same gold medal if they win.

So, in life, it is important to be with people who all are rowing with the same goal in mind and in the same direction. KT