Teamwork and Me

"Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." -Andrew Carnegie

It might be that you work by yourself, sitting at your desk filling out reports, researching, or making projections. Maybe you are on the factory floor installing windshields, or in a day care tending to infants. It could be a myriad of things you do each day. But much of what we accomplish is done with teamwork present visibly and many times invisibly.

Take the story of Charlie Plumb, a navy jet pilot in Vietnam. He had seventy-four successful combat missions, but on his 75th mission, with only five days before he was to return home, Plumb was shot down.

Captain Charlie Plumb parachuted into enemy territory, was captured and spent six years in prison. He survived imprisonment and now lectures on the lessons he learned from his experiences.

After his return from Vietnam, Charlie and his wife were sitting in a restaurant when a man approached them, and said, "Are you Plumb the navy pilot?"

"Yes, how did you know?" asked Plumb.

"I packed your parachute," the man replied.

Plumb was amazed and very grateful to the man, "If the chute you packed hadn't worked I wouldn't be here today."

Charlie Plumb refers to this story in many of his lectures. He realized that there were anonymous sailors who packed the parachutes and held the pilots' lives in their hands, and yet the pilots never gave these sailors a second thought; never even said hello, let alone said thanks.

As Captain Plumb asks his audiences, "Who packs your parachutes?..... Who helps you through your life?.... Physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually?....... Think about who helps you; recognize them and say thanks."

There is teamwork involved in many parts of our lives. You know they are out there and you can find them. Look around your community to find them. Look around your workplace to see whom they are. Look around your home and church to see whom those people are that are on your team.

You will hear the phrase that there is no 'I' in 'TEAM' to make their point. I prefer to say that there is 'ME' wrapped up in the word 'TEAM' which means we only succeed because of those around us. And those around us succeed because you are part of their lives, their team. We are each an integral part of not only our success but of those around us, the team.

The people around you that have entered into your life. Your family, your friends and co-workers. Your team exists of many, not one. Realize that you are part of a bigger team than just one. See how much further your life and the lives of the team will achieve once we acknowledge and embrace the idea.

Stay inspired my friend.

My Aching Attitude

"Grow old with me! The best is yet to be." -Robert Browning

So there I was sitting in the Orthopedic doctor's office, waiting to hear the news. This particular doctor had once been a team physician for the New York Mets baseball team. There was confidence in my mind but nervous about what the results might be.

My left shoulder had been having increasing pain over the course of two to three months. Normally I would not think much of it but worse and worse it became. The pain becomes nearly unbearable when trying to sleep at night should I happen to roll over onto it. Think of sleeping quite nicely and then having someone drive a pointed stick into the area of your collarbone. Ouch!

My doctor said that normally that is the point at which people finally come in. The point in which sleep is disrupted. Go figure!

I sat in the examining room and thought of all those sports injuries it could have been. While I am not an athlete, oh well it could be. Anyway, a tear, a cracked bone, some abnormality that defies logic? I can see the sports headlines now, "Primm out with Rotator Cuff - Blog put on Hold." What would all my fans do?

The doctor came into the room and ran me through a few more mobility tests, looked at pictures of my shoulder and always in the inevitable "hmmm" sound. "Give it to me straight Doc, I can take it. Am I out for the season?"

His diagnosis? Normal, common everyday AC Joint Arthritis. As a person becomes older and uses the shoulder, normal wear and tear, or degeneration, of the cartilage takes place in the joint. Common in middle age people. "Wait a minute, did you say as people become older?" I asked.

That is correct, I am just like you and millions of other folks that have this thing called "aging." For some reason I got to thinking it probably has to do with that AARP membership card I sent in earlier this year. But no getting around it, I am simply growing older like everyone else.

I really can not complain though. My body might be trying to show signs but my mind is fresh and not nearly as old. Some may call that immaturity, but I think of it as never getting too old not to enjoy the life I have. There are people that have and are going through much more difficult physical challenges, (cancer, major injuries). So I thank my God for the good health that I do have.

While we each may be getting older, complaining about it will not make it go away. We need to enjoy our lives to their fullest possible given our circumstances. Some are better than others but it isn't a comparison. It is about you and what you feel about your life. You dictate how happy your life is by choosing to be happy.

There are those that will say, "Sure, that's easy for you to say." And they are partially correct in that assessment. I don't have a debilitating disease nor am I fighting through anything worse than a sore shoulder. But what I am doing is working on my attitude. Training myself to change any negative thinking into positive thinking.

The time may come when my aging body gives me a bigger surprise. But if I have exercised my brain, my thoughts, properly than I will be better prepared to deal with the physical changes. In many ways there are only two choices we have, "Get busy living, or get busy dying" (The Shawshank Redemption - Andy Dufresne).

Stay inspired my friends.

Charting Our Attitude

Here we are at the end of the week. I have had good success in working on my manuscript and sharing one last older post with you. Here from May 12, 2006 is "Charting Your Attitude".

Billy Graham once said, "we do not understand the intricate pattern of the stars in their courses, but we know that He who created them does and that just as surely as He guides them, He is charting a safe course for us." The quote is one mans vision of how we can face an uncertain future. It is a tough thing to go through when it is yourself facing bad times.

Those low spots in your life can always be countered by thinking of those high spots in life. The next thing you can do is one small positive thing. Smile at someone you pass on the street, open a door for another or maybe help out another individual in some small way. The things you do in a positive way will build upon itself. And keeping your attitude strong in spite of down times is of utmost importance.

As you work your way through this, listen to others and know that many are their to help you through these times. Surround yourself with these people not to pour your problems on but to help build yourself up. Many of us have been through the valley and know of your pain. A safe course is being charted for you, read the signs and follow it to a better life.

Sweeping The Street

As we continue sharing some older posts, last weekend my wife and I fixed up the area around our mail box. With the dirt and mess, we ended up having to sweep the street. It reminded me of a favorite of mine by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

If a man is called to be a street sweeper
He should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted
Or Beethoven composed music
Or Shakespeare wrote poetry

He should sweep streets so well
That all the hosts of heaven and earth
Will pause to say
Here lived a great street sweeper
Who did his job well

~Martin Luther King, Jr~

This is one of my favorite quotes that I share with you today. You can make a difference every day simply by doing what you do, to the best ability that you can.