Kid President’s Pep Talk is one of my favorite videos out on the web. There are so many great things about the video, but the message that stuck with me was, “And if life is a game, aren’t we all on the same team? I mean really, right? I’m on your team, be on my team.” Right? I think we’d all agree with the message, then why is it so hard to put it in practice?
We put ourselves ahead of what’s best for the collective. Sometimes we need to remove our personal interests from the equation and do what’s best for the greater good. This can apply to work, this can apply to your personal life, this can apply to your love life–everywhere. Why are you refusing to do something for someone? Is your reason only serving you or is it serving the greater good? Are you offering an alternative or taking the time to help the other person understand why it’s a “no”?
We take it for granted. Oh she’ll understand. It’s okay if I put this off. It’s not a big deal. Stop. Listen to yourself. Yes, we all need to prioritize, but if something else is always overriding other things you need to do, people you want to see, places you’d like to go, then maybe you need to leave it off the list until you seriously see the value in it. The world is a forgiving place until you take its forgiveness for weakness and swap it with forgetting. Once that happens, good luck getting another shot.
It’s the easy way out. It’s tempting to put off a challenge or not do something because it’s just too hard or push someone around because they’ll take it (and it’s not right). I’m all for getting an easy win to boost your confidence or get your groove, but don’t put off the tough stuff–it’ll just get harder. You can always be a bull in a china shop and throw your weight around, but at the end of the day, you end up causing more damage than good. Stand up straight. Breathe. Tell yourself you can do this–and if you fail, learn from it, adjust your method and try again. You might surprise yourself.
Being on the same team doesn’t just unite us and make us stronger as a team, it propels us forward to do more together. It makes people feel welcome. It makes people feel supported. It really does make the world a better place. Give it a try.
