Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Some Things Can't Be Done Solo



As someone who’s been a “lone wolf” in many areas of my life, I’m finally coming around to the value of being in a group of people of like mind. It’s just easier. When one person’s motivation flags, then the group energy carries the individual.  Even one of the most popular Hindu myths about the monkey god Hanuman tells the story of encouragement…

Very early in life Hanuman was given a boon that he would be invincible. As a youngster, he was a devilish prankster and would annoy the sages by hiding and rearranging their prayer and alter materials. As punishment, they put a mild curse on him that he would only know his greatness when reminded by another.  

Much later in life, having searched the entire continent of India for his friend’s (Lord Rama) wife, who had been kidnapped, he was lamenting on the shore that he could not cross the ocean to continue to look for her.  Surrounded by his friends, who knew of his invincibility, they began to encourage him, reminding him that he was capable of anything.  When he remembered his own intrinsic magic, he made himself enormous, and leapt- in the splits- from the tip of India to Sri Lanka, where he ultimately found Lord Rama’s wife, Sita.

I have always loved this story and really appreciated the message, yet there has always been something that has kept me from fully committing to a group mission.  After watching the Seattle Seahawks win the NFC Championship last Saturday, I believe now, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that a carefully selected team of individuals, all dedicated to the same goal can create magic.  So what are the ingredients for the magical recipe?

For the first time in my life, I watched many of the interviews of the players and coaches immediately after the game, the post game press conference, and the one the next day.  I kept watching because I was mesmerized by the similar messages that I was hearing from each player—same underlying philosophy embellished by that player’s focus and experience.  It was fascinating.

If you watched the game, you know the improbability of the win by the Seahawks after many mistakes and failures, and whether you enjoy football or not, there are inspiring lessons to learn from that game, this team and how they work together. Just a few days before the new moon that represents the nature of operating in groups and finding our “tribe”, the Seattle Seahawks gave us the team recipe for magic and manifestation.  Here’re are some of my favorite ingredients:

RECIPE FOR MAGIC AND MANIFESTATION

Ingredient #1 FAITH 

Coach Pete Carroll talked about what “tremendous faith” it took for all the players on the team just be patient and slowly work their way back not just in the NFC Championship game, but from the middle of the season.  

Ingredient #2 SUPPORT

At the post game press conference this is what Coach Carroll said about why he thought the Seahawks won that game: 
“What happened in the middle of the year is that they found that connection to what team is all about, which is supporting the guys around you. They found that, they embraced it and we’ve ridden that thought all the way to this point, and even to the point where we gather them up going into OT, and we talk about how powerful that belief is and what it can allow you to accomplish. And so many different guys had to step up today to make something happen in this game- it had to be something that they all could feel and they all could get to share.”


Ingredient #3 BELIEF

Quarterback Russell Wilson talk about what it means to believe the people around you: 

“When somebody messes up, or I mess up, or don’t throw the ball right, whatever happens, I’m just going to keep coming back to them.  I told Kearse after that last interception, ‘Hey, we’re gonna win this game.  I’m gonna keep coming back to you and we’re going to find a way to win this game.’ And that’s what we were able to do.”


Ingredient #4 ADVERSITY and RESILIENCE

Kam Chancellor talked about the unbreakable bond between teammates as the factor that makes them such a good team.  “Everything happened for a reason, we had our adversity at the beginning of the game for a reason— for us to become even tighter, and for us to believe even more.  That’s one thing about adversity, it builds character.”


Russell Wilson: “The resilience of our team is what makes the day so special…It’s a team effort, a relentless effort to find a way…”

Ingredient #5 HEART

One of the players, interviewed immediately after the game on the field, said, “it’s not talent, we’ve got HEART.”  Talent will only take you so far when things are going wrong, you need something to keep you going when the going gets tough.

Ingredient #6 DEVOTION

The players did not use that word exactly, in yoga we call it “Bhakti”, but they each talked about their devotion to their team, and to their Creator.

When asked about his critics, Jermaine Kearse laughed about how much criticism there was, and then said, “I’m thankful for my teammates, who continued to stand by my side when I was down- there was never negativity…I don’t worry about all that stuff— it just comes down to US, the TEAM.”   Talking about the low moments of the game he said “I just told myself not just to feel sorry for myself, just keep pushing through, you know?  Things aren’t always going to be perfect, things aren’t always going to go your way, but it tells a lot about a person’s character how he responds to things when they’re not going well.” (And if you’re wondering what he did to celebrate after the game, he went to church and then went home and had dinner with his family.)


Ingredient #7 STICK TO THE PLAN + PREPARATION

Russell Wilson:  “Continuing to believe in the guys around me…I never doubted in our guys…staying the course…trusting the preparation…going back to the fundamentals…”

Ingredient #8 TRUST

Russell Wilson: “Continuing to trust those guys…they show me every day in practice, so when somebody messes up, I’m going to keep going back to them… all the trust and preparation, that’s what leads you there.”

(To complete the recipe, get a “container” the size of your choosing- find your tribe, your community--in yoga we call it “sangha”-- the people that share your vision, add all the ingredients, mix together, and simply support, believe in and count on one another.)

When in doubt, remember the repetitive message from the Seahawks players:

- it’s not talent, it’s heart
-it’s not about glory as an individual—do it for one’s teammates
-Love one another, play for each other, not yourself 
-Believe in each other, believe in the process
-stay the course
-stick to the fundamentals
-gratefulness 
-relentless drive for success for each other
-trust
-play through adversity with team support

Evolving, growing and accomplishing things is hard.  Get your team together, throw in a lot of love and caring for each other and see what happens.

I Believe in You!

Love,
Liz

P.S. Email me back and share your experiences with me- I want to know what’s going on with you!
P.P.S If you can’t make it to The Shala, join our “virtual sangha” at: 


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