The Runners' Dilemma and the Event Organizer's Challenge: A Story of Influence and Control

Before I begin sharing my perspective with you, let's first understand two concepts from Stephen Covey's book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People":

Concept 1: Circle of Influence - This concept advises us to focus on things we can control and have an impact on. These are areas where we can take action and make a difference.

Concept 2: Circle of Control - This concept suggests that we concentrate on things directly under our control and let go of things beyond our control. These are the areas where we have the power to make decisions and take action.

Now, let's dive into the story. This story revolves around these two concepts and is purely fictional.

Once upon a time, there was an event organizer who used to arrange a hilly ultra run during the monsoon season. The event had been running successfully for a long time, and each year it was a fantastic and enjoyable experience for all participants. After the run, everyone would gather and celebrate with beer. However, in the year 2023, the event organizer decided to cancel the hill ultra run due to the anticipation of rain and storms. They offered the runners the choice of participating in a virtual run or getting a free entry to next year's event. However, the runners demanded a full refund and threatened to boycott the organizer.

Suddenly, a video emerged appealing to the entire running community. The video urged everyone to either demand a full refund or boycott the event completely. The video encouraged all runners to join this campaign and supported their cause.

Upon watching that video, another runner who had previously had a positive experience with the event organizer and knew that the organizer had supported an NGO by providing them with 100% free registrations for their event, decided to release their own video. In that video, this runner addressed the concerns raised by the boycott campaign, where people worried that the organizer was solely driven by financial motives. The runner disagreed with the notion that money was their sole priority, arguing that they did care about the well-being of others. The runner supported the event organizer and emphasized that everyone had their own perspective, and nobody should tell others whether to attend the organizer's event or not. 

Afterward, another video emerged from the same runner, appealing to the entire running community to boycott the event organizer. In this video, the runner used the two famous concepts from Stephen Covey's book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People":

• Concept 1: Circle of Influence 
• Concept 2: Circle of Control

And that's the end of the story.

How did you like the story? I hope you enjoyed it. Now, let's analyze the situation from different perspectives:

Runners' Perspective (Appealing to the entire running community to boycott the event organizer)

• Circle of Influence: The runners who want to boycott the event organizer believe they have the power to influence others and draw attention to their concerns. They think they can make a difference by expressing their opinions and encouraging others to join their cause.
• Circle of Control: If these runners try to force or control others' decisions by pressuring them to boycott or manipulating their choices, they are going beyond what they should do. It is important to respect others' freedom to make their own decisions.

Runner’s Perspective (Runner who had a positive experience with the event organizer)

• Circle of Influence: The supporter of the event organizer understands that they can express their support and perspective without directly influencing others. They believe that everyone should have the right to make their own choices and respect diverse opinions.
• Circle of Control: If the event organizer's supporters try to manipulate or control the narrative, coerce others to attend the event, or suppress opposing viewpoints, they would be crossing the line. Respecting others' autonomy and allowing them to make their own decisions is important.

Summary:

Runners' Perspective (Boycott the event organizer): The runners using the concept of Circle of Influence are expressing their concerns and seeking to influence others to support their boycott. However, if they are trying to control or manipulate others' decisions, they are going beyond the concept of Circle of Control.

Runner’s Perspective (Positive experience with the event organizer): The event organizer's supporter understands the concept of Circle of Influence by expressing their support without trying to influence others. They respect others' choices and opinions, which aligns with the concept of Circle of Control.

I hope this analysis helps you understand the different perspectives in this situation.

Footnote: One past reference where a running event was suddenly canceled, and runners initiated a boycott campaign, is the case of the New York City Marathon in 2012. Due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, the organizers decided to cancel the event just two days before it was scheduled to take place. This decision was met with mixed reactions from the running community, with some runners expressing disappointment and frustration. However, there were also runners who supported the decision, considering the challenging circumstances and the need for resources to be redirected towards recovery efforts. While there may be other instances of similar situations, the New York City Marathon cancellation in 2012 stands out as a notable example.