‘I’ vs ‘We’

We are all living in the same pond of life. In a school we all belong to one place, we have the same school emblem on our shirts. In a sports team we play under the one name. We also know that to be a successful team it must be ‘WE’, not ‘I’.

When considering the concept of ‘I’ vs ‘We’ lets look at the meaning of team as a starting point. Team is described in the dictionary as the following:

• A group of players forming one side in a competitive game or sport.
• Two or more people working together.

We often see inspiring movies of great sporting events of teams doing incredible things. One thing I know for sure is that we can’t be in a team of ‘I’.

What is our mindset around our children’s sporting teams, classrooms and places they belong? Do we teach them to be a part of something? or do we focus on the ‘I’ in their lives?. Happiness comes from belonging, but it also comes from putting others first. God’s commandment to us was to ‘Love God and love others’. I have seen children missing opportunities and the blessing of belonging by concentrating on themselves, rather than being part of a bigger picture.  An example of this would be pulling out of a sporting team because instead of trusting the coaches and the selectors they believe themselves to be better suited in another team. Another example would be moving schools because of some sort of offence. When we concentrate on ‘I’, we miss the purpose of being part of a community that helps us to grow, mature and work through life challenges.

Remind your children that they are in a pond and not on an island. Greater joy is found in ‘WE’ than ‘I’. As parents model this to your children in what you focus on in the daily ups and downs of their lives whether it be at home in the family, at school or in a sporting team. Teach them to be givers not takers, contributors not people focussed on self.