Recently the Texarkana USA Chamber of Commerce, AEP Southwestern Electric Power, and TexAmericas Center joined together to host an economic summit with guest speaker William H. Fruth. The presentation and discussion investigated and revealed areas of challenge and opportunity in economic development.
The meeting was similar to a half time locker room. The players were gathered. They had the look of a long fought first half with cuts and bruises of attempted plays and short term success. Their brows were creased with the focus of determination and the frustration to accomplish what might be. They were not down and out. They still had the glint of hope. As they set thinking of the past play time, a coach offered advice. He outlined possible plays and individual maneuvers to reach the goal. He spoke of resources and ways to move the ball to score the points. He spoke of areas to improve and areas of success. He looked at numbers, skills, past training, and missed opportunities. He laid out the hard line of where they were and the history of what brought them to this point.
As he looked into the room, he did not see a group of losers but a group of winners. He had shared his knowledge, discussed the skills, and offered the chance to reach the goal. As he reveled in the purpose of the game, the rewards of success, and the comparison to other successful teams, the players began to feel antsy. They began to tighten their muscles. Their gaze became more determined. The players' thoughts soon began to race with the passion to reach the goal. The wave of possibility began to grow within and soon the group began to set their shoulders. They began to draw on their inner resources. The heat of possibilities began to increase. The mood changed from a long fought battle to one of 'making it happen'. As the players began to build a momentum of rushing the field, a new atmosphere soon surrounded them and engulfed the room. No longer did players see themselves as separate units but a cohesive group of specialties complementing each other. They had reached a place of commitment to succeed.
The change taking place was individually but also a unifying commitment to be a team-a gathering of interconnecting talent to reach a common goal. As the flow of energy grew, the individual players became a connecting force of talent, strength, passion and determination. The past became simply a memory of what has been. The memory was present but it was being overshadowed by the possibility of future success.
As the half time break came to a close, the tempo in the locker room was building. As the players exited the room, instead of downturned heads there was slaps on the back.
There was yelling to go, go, go; instead of sighs of depression and loss. It was no longer a group of individuals but a team exiting with a strong bounce in their step, an energy of possibility, an outlook of focused determination, and an attitude of success. It was a team.
Economic and community growth isn't going to happen with individuals seeking personal success. It will occur through a team of individuals sharing skills, resources, and a vision of the future. It is the team approach of all areas working together with the shared commitment to make the vision of what we can be a reality. We can have this commitment. We can work together. We can succeed. Our winning region is the result of everyone, every community, every group working together to prepare, present, and prove we are the place to grow, the place to do business, and the place to raise a family. Other organizations such as Leadership Texarkana, through LIFT, are attempting to promote the same cause of working together to achieve success. We are a region of possibilities waiting to happen. We are on the verge of being a center of commerce and a center for an outstanding quality of life. However, as we approach this brink of greatness, we cannot shirk from the task. We need to demonstrate a team commitment to move our community forward. WE ARE TEXARKANA!