Desire to Belong!
There is something special about being a part of a team. You realize that you are part of something bigger than yourself, and are pursuing a goal with others on your left and right. There is power locking arms with another and endurance as you collectively go after that goal as one!
Legendary NBA coach Phil Jackson shares, “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”
There is strength, power, resilience, determination, fortitude and so much more when you are part of a team. As humans, we are created for community, a team, to belong to something that is curated for the members of the team, a larger impact in society, and significance that is accomplished together that can’t be done on our own.
Part of what makes leaving sport scary for athletes is the realization that you no longer have a team, a place of belonging, a collective group of humans going after something that you couldn’t accomplish individually.
The thought of now being alone trying to figure out life, next steps, next career by yourself or at least without a team can be daunting!
How do you figure out or determine where you belong in sport, relationships, community, or wherever life takes you?
Build your own Team!
As you competed as an athlete, you are usually selected for teams, rather than being able to choose your team. You are ID’ed, recruited, drafted, selected, signed, etc. You are being chosen by someone else and they are putting together the team.
Now, that choice belongs to you. Creating belonging, especially a healthy space has to be intentional.
Here are some key perspectives to building your own Team!
1 – Similarities attract and Differences strengthen! Finding common ground with others is important, but you want to have others around you with strengths, talents, and abilities that you don’t have. Stronger Together!
2 – Act, Speak, and Behave with the interests of the other in mind, not just your own. So this is a two-way street with building a team. Humility is essential and your willingness to put another person’s interests, and the whole team above your own, bonds you together and strengthens your ties. And when you all are doing this, it will only empower, build confidence, and fortify you collectively as a team!
3 – Your Team won’t last forever! Life is cyclical, ebbs and flows, and has different seasons. When you build a team, it will not remain the same for the rest of your life. And that’s ok. People will come and go in your life, just like you have been a part of others’ lives and then you are not. I truly believe that each of us will have only a few people that journey with us for the totality of our lives. From there people will journey with us for a year, a few months, or maybe a decade. But, ultimately they will move on and so will you. Again, that’s ok, it’s life!
We all have a desire to belong to something, as humans, we are created and designed to live and be with others in community. The power is in your willingness to choose who is on your team and have the confidence to know who should or shouldn’t be teamed up with you! Also, opportunities and impact grow through and in transitions when you navigate them with others. Build your team today with confidence, clarity, and courage!
Jonathan