Lessons from the Cave

Lessons about unity are all around us.

The cave rescue offers many lessons if we have the eyes to see them. Here are some that I gained. Please feel free to post your own insights.

1. With focus and clarity of purpose anything is possible. My belief is that when we humans come together we get spiritual aid, as opposed to when we are divided.

2. It takes a team. Some people will never be recognized, but without everyone giving of their talents we can’t accomplish much. There where volunteers feeding rescue workers, people doing dirty work of hauling equipment. Some jobs aren’t glamorous but needed nonetheless.

3. We need to share credit. The back stage people allow the front stage people to shine, but we need to remember to share the glory.

4. Sacrifices often have to be made for the greater good. Navy Seal died for the purpose. Many of the poor rice farmers lost their year’s crop because of the need to pump water from the cave. How can we all see a bigger picture so that it’s no longer just about ME and MINE?

5. Blame casts a shadow on hope. Notice that the parents didn’t take the path of least resistance and blame the coach. They held their consciousness onto hope and solidarity…supporting each other when it would have been easier to get hooked by anger and go down a dark road.

6. Self-discipline and facts before emotions and assumptions. We often don’t know the whole story. At first many thought the 25 year old coach led the boys into the cave. We find out later that he went into SEARCH for them, and as a result they had a young adult looking after their well being.

7. Fighting negativity with more negativity creates more drama. Even with most of the world cheering and coming together, there are still those who wish to judge, blame, or make a political statement out of every situation. This calls for gentle forgiveness and pointing people to a mirror so they can reflect on their heart rather than pouring more fuel on an already blazing fire.

8. At our core we are love. We may have to dig deep. Sometimes it takes a natural disaster to show us our values and our compassion.

Love to hear your insights too.

Marlene Chism is a consultant, international speaker and the author of “Stop Workplace Drama” (Wiley 2011), “No-Drama Leadership” (Bibliomotion 2015) and “7 Ways to Stop Drama in Your Healthcare Practice” (Greenbranch 2018). Download “The Bottom Line: How Executive Conversations Drive Results.” Connect with Chism via LinkedInFacebookand Twitter and at MarleneChism.com

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