By. Sister Nancy Linenkugel, OSF
Did you know that in the 2002 Winter Olympics, the margin between getting a medal and not getting a medal in men’s downhill skiing was 0.65 of a second? In men’s 500 meter speed skating it was 0.26 of a second? Or in women’s two-woman bobsled it was 0.58 of a second? How long is 0.65 of a second? You can’t even blink an eye that rapidly. Yet international athletes who trained for years and endured various national competitions to finally make the Olympic team from their country went home empty-handed, all because of 0.65, or 0.26, or 0.58 of a second less effort than the medalists.
In the 2004 Summer Olympics, the margin between getting a medal or not getting a medal in men’s 800 meter running was 0.71 of a second. In women’s 800 meter running the margin was 0.13 of a second.
The average margin of victory in the Kentucky Derby from 1998-2002 was 2.2 lengths—and the winner earned 463% more than the second place jockey.
The average margin of victory in the Daytona 500 from 1995-2004 was 0.241 of a second—and the winner earned 68% more than the second place driver. How much is 0.241 of a second going at those speeds—the edge of the bumper?
None of that is my research but it does come from S. L. Parker’s 2005 book, 212° - The Extra Degree: How to Achieve Results Beyond Your Wildest Expectations. This is a very small book, size-wise—only 5.5” X 5.5 “ square and a mere 72 pages. However, the message is powerful and describes my personal philosophy of how I like to operate. Parker's formula, which I've memorized and recite with my students at our weekly classes is:
“At 211º, water is hot. At 212º, water boils. Boiling water makes steam. Steam powers a locomotive.”
Just through a tiny bit more in effort—that additional degree—amazing things can occur. Examples are replete in our lives, such as returning a call when you'd like to call it a day, answering one more email at the end of the day even when you’re dead tired because someone needs a response from you, picking up a piece of litter as you walk around because it won’t kill you and you’ll feel good about helping the environment, or appreciating how someone extended himself/herself one extra degree just to do something nice for you.
The 212º effort might make the difference in all sorts of important life matters, such as getting hired or not, having a harmonious family life or not, finding the time to be part of service clubs and other community efforts or not, etc. And in the New Year when we concoct Resolutions, what could be easier? Doing the extra is something each of us can do. We can live the 212º more easily than succeeding in a goal to lose weight (ugh).
I think of our patron, St. Francis of Assisi, as always on fire to do the more. He was all consumed with love of God and put himself second in everything else, including sleep, eating, leisure time, etc. Perhaps he was the original 212º steam powering the locomotive of 13th century church reform.