Taking One for the Team
We all have reasons for doing what we do. In the perfect world our personal goals are achieved when the goals of the team to which we belong are met. Of course we don’t live in that perfect world. Instead we often find ourselves in situations where it’s going to be one or the other. Either the team wins or I win, but not both.
On Sunday evening I watched the Saints beat the Vikings in the NFC Championship game. Anyone watching the game had to notice how hard and how often Brett Favre was being hit. He took an amazing amount of punishment. It was painful to watch as he limped to the sideline, got the once-over, and then came trotting out to get pounded again.
A couple times I found myself thinking, “Stay down. You’ve taken enough.” Assuming it was in Favre’s best interest to not get killed on the field, staying down would have made a lot of sense. But the team had a goal, and Favre saw himself playing a role in meeting that goal, no matter what. And so he kept plugging away.
For most of us, the things we are being asked to do for the good of the team don’t involve physical injury. It might mean swallowing our pride, working a little longer or harder than preferred, or doing the bad job more than you would care to. They seem like big deals at the time, but when compared to risking broken bones, they don’t seem quite as big.
Your team needs you to step up. Will you?
