Dragon Boats in Saint Paul

For the past several years as I looked through Minnesota events, the dragon boat races in Grand Marais looked intriguing. I haven't been able to get up there yet though.

Dragon boat racing is popular and very competitive in some parts of the world. It may even be a demonstration sport at the Olympics in China. Here in the States, it is growing quickly in popularity. Quite often the races are linked with a charity fundraiser.

The boats are essentially long canoes holding 21 people with most paddlers sitting two-wide. In many cases the teams are corporate teams contributing and advertising at the same time.

This year I found out about a race nearby in Saint Paul. Along with the races, there were Asian music groups and miscellaneous entertainment with an ethnic twist.

The essence of dragon boat racing is learning to work together well as a team. A super stud with power and speed could try to compete on his own. But, like many other things in the world, it really does require a team to accomplish the mission, crossing the finish line quickly, in this case.

Perhaps you have seen a need or a potential worthy mission. It may look overwhelming, just as handling one of these long boats alone could be quite frustrating. But perhaps if you got a team of like-minded people to help, you actually could complete this mission and make a difference in the world. There may be others just waiting for an opportunity to help with skills or other resources.

We are not limited to what we can do alone. Join others or invite others to join you. You may be pleasantly surprised at what you can accomplish.

Dare to dream. Take steps forward. Watch with anticipation to see what is possible.