I was playing tennis the other day with a girl friend and something occurred to me. A couple of things actually. First, it was all women on all the courts. There are eight courts so there was probably close to thirty women out there. I thought it was pretty nice to see so many women not only being active but competitive. Perhaps it surprises people that a yoga teacher is competitive. I think it's healthy to have an appropriate time and a place where you can put it all out there. A chance to run around, make strategic shots, and yes, ever try to win.
The other observation was how noisy it was on the courts. There were some shoe squeaking sounds but it was mostly voices. And what I noticed was what the voices were saying. "Great shot Diane" "Nice get Barb" "Perfect placement Kate" It was a symphony of support. It was women complimenting women over and over again. And it was really quite cool!
This wasn't a new thing. It was just the first time I really noticed it. And women compliment each other all the time. But it's usually directed at what they're wearing rather than what they're doing. Think about it, when was the last time you said something complimentary to a girlfriend that had NOTHING to do with her hair or clothes. The answer is probably either yesterday and no clue because its been so long you can't remember. That could change today.
Your friends are your teammates off the court. Be their cheerleader. Instead of saying nice shirt, say nice shot.
