This article is inspired by Ireland’s victory over Italy this morning in the rugby world cup in New Zealand. The team showed great passion on the field of play, encouraged by the large Irish supporter group present; the numbers boosted by young emigrants now living in Australia/New Zealand – sadly prompted to leave the home country by the economic recession.
It is not an exaggeration to say that our collective pride in the team’s performance lifted the national mood and, at least for a while, makes whatever individual burdens we are carrying seem lighter.
A few things strike me about this :
– being part of something bigger than ourselves can be very satisfying and can take us away from our obsession with our personal challenges. What ‘team’ could you be part of to ‘take you out of yourself’?
– while everybody in a team has to stand up and do what is expected of them it is the collective performance that matters. Are you a good ‘team’ player?
– we are social animals and feeling connection with community gives us a sense of belonging which enhances the quality of our lives. Are you sufficiently involved in ‘community ‘ activities – wide definition ?
– being passionate improves performance. Are you passionate about what you do or do you need to find something that you can be passionate about?
Finally, I am reminded of a quote from a prominent businessman from a few years ago :
”There is no limit to what a man can achieve if he does not care who gets the credit ” Anon !
