Teamwork is the foundation of everything. The idea of an independent human being is a myth. The very fact that you exist means you had parents, unless you were created in a lab, by a team of scientists. You were not spontaneously manifested into existence by nothing.
Except… You kind of were, when you get down to the essence of it. It has been said that either the Divine is everything or it is nothing. I would argue that it is both. Some mystical traditions say that the Divine is No Thing, which is not inaccurate. If you can define the Divine, it is not the Divine; therefore the Divine is not a thing. There are theoretical astrophysicists who posit that everything we experience is a hologram, which is quite like the shamanistic belief that this is a Dreaming. You might say that we are all part of the Mind of God. So, in that sense, we were all manifested into existence by No Thing.
In terms of conscious, human existence, though, we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. We are dependent on farmers and manufacturers for our food. Most of us partake of municipal public services. We don’t ourselves make everything we consume or use. The “self-made” person still has employees and was taught things by others. Everything we do is a result of some form of teamwork, unless you’re a solitary monk on a mountaintop who never learned from anyone, but then what are you doing reading this? And how?
From a spiritual point of view, you are in this reality because interactions with others are the easiest way to learn about yourself and, therefore, to grow. It is in your close relationships that your flaws and growth points are highlighted. It is in cooperation with others that you can bring into reality things much greater than you could on your own. It is on the foundation of what has come before that the newest technologies are built.
These are important things to be aware of.
When you allow yourself to remember, and be grateful for, the fact that everything is a result of teamwork, you will be more inclined to work to strengthen your teams, to look for the win-win in every situation, and to remember than when one of us succeeds, we all succeed. Life is not a zero-sum game. Your negative ego wants you to think you can somehow win, and that others must lose in order for that to happen. Your negative ego wants you to alone, so you don’t grow. Consider, instead, working to create unity with those around you. The more people on your team, the farther you can all go!
This post is part of a new series called Monday Message, based on that day’s reflection from 365 Days to Enlightenment (authorized versions are currently out of print, working on a new edition). Check back next Monday for another one! You can also sign up for the Daily Message on my mailing list if you’d like to receive a new reflection every day. I also often post them to Instagram, if that’s a medium you enjoy.