“I Can Do Incredible Things”
For many
years I have heard there is no “I” in TEAM and for the most part I have
believed it; that is up until now... Recently,
I have come to realize that there is very much an “I” in every TEAM at least in
my mind and thought process, especially now. I know that “I” am an irreplaceable part of
the teams in my world. I am a valued member
of and key component to the teams I am a part of. On some teams without an “I” it is almost
certain, more times than not, there would not be a team, so now more than ever
and without a doubt, I am convinced and will beg to differ with those who
believe and hold firm to the theory there is no “I” in team that there is in
fact an “I” in every TEAM.
A few years
ago my daughter had read somewhere a quote that she felt fit a situation in her
present teenage life. It said, “Why are
you always trying to fit in when you were born to stand out”? (She
didn’t know who said it, but she was impressed with it because she often talked
about how she felt so differently from her peers.) She seemed so much more mature and serious
than the kids her age – If you have teens you may know what I mean. Anyway, then I saw a poster at my workplace
that read, “Families do incredible things” and I began to think about that for
a while. I found myself agreeing that my
family had done many great things. I had
personally overcome many great odds in my early life. My siblings and I lost our mother at a very
early age. Our childhood was riddled
with poverty and abuse. The list could go on.
Then, I realized my adult life had been good to date. My late husband and I had raised 3 beautiful
daughters, plus 3 other beautiful girls not our own. Some of our grandparents had had
unbelievable longevity. Our eldest, Mrs.
Lou Belle Baker, had lived just short of 107 years! So, we were blessed with pretty incredible
things, and we had done some pretty incredible things, as well.
Then, I began
to think about those things I had not done, that I should have or could have done
on my own. You see, I have always
had this incredible talent for crafting; give me a glue gun, glitter, paint,
beads, and sparkles and it will sell! Give
me a camera and I am out shooting Bumblebees on a sunny afternoon in the wild
Azaleas bushes behind my house in the woods.
Give me a stovetop, potatoes, and a pot roast and everyone comes for
dinner! Give me pencil and paper and I
am busy for hours. It was then that I
thought, “What if I did my incredible things?”
What would happen”? What if
everyone did his individual incredible things?
What would or could or should happen then?
So today, I
declare there is very much an “I” in every TEAM. In fact, there are multiple ones in every
TEAM we know. I am on my family team, my
work team, my church team, my girlfriend’s team, my own team. I am sometimes the Captain and I am sometimes
not. I can lead and I can follow. Many times I push my team and many times I
pull and sometimes I pull really hard, even too hard! Often times I can be seen on my team while
other times I cannot be seen at all.
Although I can be invisible on my team, one thing is for certain, I am
definitely there. I can do incredible
things and when I do incredible things… incredible things happen!
The next time
someone says to you that there is no “I” in TEAM , look them straight in the
eye and repeat after me – “Yes sir, maybe you don’t see it in the spelling, but
you may be certain of one thing – “I
am a BIG part of what can be accomplished together on this TEAM!” I am the “I” on my team.
Kathy Mashburn
