If I watch a TV show about houses I want to be inspired and entertained. I actually want to see the joy and anguish of struggling to build a home on a limited budget. I want to get inspiration for creating a home in a particular style. I do not want to find entertainment in watching a couple bicker with each other or with another couple.
So, I was pleasantly surprised last week when one of the TBL contestants won a bonus $5000 and had to gift it to someone from another team. A condition of accepting the gift was that you had to leave the competition. Of course there were conditions attached and most likely there was an ulterior motive behind the final decision.
Well, you can imagine how inspired I was to hear the winning contestant offer the cash to contestant no. 2 because the latter was a mum who was finding it hard to be away from her young children for so long and whose family could really benefit from a financial boost.
I stopped what I was doing when I heard this going to air. I actually waited for the sting in the tail, for the nastiness.
How often do we hear people on TV doing something just because it could help someone? How often do those reality shows allow people to choose kindness when the premise of the program is about winning and losing?
The next day I happened to be reading my book, and I came across this passage in which the author proposes an alternative definition of success.
SUCCESS is living a full and balanced life in partnership with others
to create a joyful feeling of love, contribution, appreciation and abundance,
despite how our endeavours may turn out.
End The Struggle and Dance With Life
Susan Jeffers
Ever the idealist, I love to think we could build a world that promotes teamwork.
Imagine a lifestyle program which focussed on skills, creativity and character-building...
