The American Dream.
The myth is its possible and probable to be successful on your own. You pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. You do it alone. No one helps you. No one gives you a break.
That, of course, is a myth.
We all need help, and we achieve so much more in tandem than when flying solo.
Dream accomplished.
I was reminded of this truth reading the story of Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson. They recently climbed El Capitan in Yosemite National Park – a 3,000 foot cliff standing straight up out of the ground. It’s impressive to look at, and amazing to imagine climbing.
Not only did Caldwell and Jorgeson climb it, but they were the first to successfully free climb the entire rock without coming off the mountain. It was several solid weeks of climbing and sleeping in tents hanging off the side of a mountain.
This trek was more than just a climb, it was a dream realized by Caldwell after 7 years of hard work and multiple disappointments. He never would have done it alone.
Dream visualized. Teammate needed.
After accomplishing the dream, Jorgeson said it should show us the importance of teamwork. For Caldwell, it wasn’t just getting to the top, it was getting there with Jorgeson. They were a team.
They needed one another. They needed each other physically and mentally and emotionally.
Odd to think when watching a climber scale a mountain alone, but this wasn’t a one man game. It’s true in all areas of life.
One of the things I’ve learned in life is a great team propels a good concept into greatness. It is so much harder to do the same thing on your own. However our American heritage doesn’t allow us to totally buy into this reality, so we go on trying to do things on our own.
I have different teams throughout my life. I have my family team. My work team. My volunteer team. They all play different but powerful roles. They are all vital to any success I have.
Who is on your team?
Make sure you know. You can’t do it alone.
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