Team, Community, Companionship, Connections

It's nice to not have a TV (for several reasons), but lately I'm grateful that it has forced me to go to the gym and spend quite a good amount of time there when there's something I really want to watch.  :)  It's even better when you don't have to wonder if someone else is going to be there wanting to watch a different channel--it's kind of a given that when the Olympics are on that's what everyone will be watching.  :)

In watching the Olympics, going to the gym, attending a few other community events, serving with people in my neighborhood, and working in a very quiet office this week I have been thinking a lot about teams, gathering, companionship, community and the blessing of togetherness.  We need other people in our lives.  It's good to be connected to others.  We aren't alone.  It's fun to talk to strangers about their favorite Olympic sports and feel immediately connected as we watch and cheer.  I have been inspired by Michael Phelps and his accomplishments, but some of what inspires me most is how the whole world seemed to cheer for him.  :)  We want others to succeed, especially when they have incredible goals.  We cheer each other on.  But, it also seems like this year of swimming was a little bit less about Michael Phelps (compared to Beijing 2008--which was so exciting!) and more about a team.  There have been remarkable accomplishments by many and when we care more about the team and less about ourselves we all win.  :)

I went to a neat flute choir concert tonight.  It was BEAUTIFUL!  You don't often get to hear a whole "choir" of flutes -- they were their own little orchestra playing all of the parts of some neat songs!  It was wonderful to hear them playing together and hearing how each individual added so much to a masterpiece.

In the words of John Donne,
"No man is an island, 
entire of itself. 
Each is a piece of a continent, 
a part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea, 
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.  
As well as if a manor of thine own
or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me, 
For I am involved in mankind."

We have to work hard individually and not rely on others doing it for us, but we can't do it alone.  :)  This sounds like a familiar debate of the day -- we absolutely must take the initiative and work hard, but at the same time be humble enough to realize we need help at the very least from God and probably a few others to make our dreams a reality.  We must be humbly self-reliant.  :)

I am also inspired by the devoted and faithful people I get to attend church with every week.  Many of them are much older and experienced, have served several missions each and are valiant in their testimonies of Jesus Christ and examples of service and love for family.  Lately I have been touched to see how they understand the importance of a community.  They are humble and desire to keep learning and growing and serving and blessing others.  It might be easy for any one of them to say, "I've served; I've helped; I've learned what I need to; I know enough; I can take it on my own from here."  That's not their attitude at all; completely the opposite--they pray to be guided to help serve someone else everyday and continue to share all that they can and bless the community around them and continue to be an active part of it.  I am inspired and blessed by their examples humbly continuing onward and sharing with the community.