“Whatever is going on in the world, there is always a force drawing us together. All of us. We are intimately connected. We take refuge in the presence of one another, in the power of being part of something bigger than ourselves.”

The Social Element

Relate Intentionally & connect intimately

The 6 Social Elements

Communication

Empathy

Influence & Collaboration

Support

Relationships and Networks

Culture and Community

“The team, the game, and our culture inspired me to discover the best within me - and by virtue of discovering that, I could impact, uplift and transform the possibility of world around me. That was how I viewed my responsibility as a teammate, and that’s how I view each of our responsibilities as a human being. ”

Life brings us together in a million different ways, for a million different reasons, with a million different people. We are a social species. We need each other.

We come together for sports, for funerals, for weddings, for meetings. We come together for protests, for celebrations, for business deals, for cups of coffee, for growth. We come together for causes, for activities, for places. We come together in happy times, angry times, and sad times. Whatever is going on in the world, there is always a force drawing us together. All of us. We are intimately connected. We take refuge in the presence of one another, in the power of being part of something bigger than ourselves.

That's why I played field hockey for so long. I was a small part of something very, very special. I was magnetized by the 'coming together' to serve a cause bigger than myself. The team, the game, and our culture inspired me to discover the best within me - and by virtue of discovering that I could impact, uplift and transform the possibility of world around me. That was how I viewed my responsibility as a teammate, and that's how I view each of our responsibilities as human beings.

“We are a miracle of people.”

We are a miracle of people. Birds fly in flocks, dolphins swim in pods, lions hunt in prides, wolves run in packs, geese go in gaggles yet us humans, we don’t have a name. We have a million different names. In sports we call it a team, in politics and hunting its a party, in drama its a troupe, in business its a board, in sailing its a crew, in education its a class. Specific names based on some particular characteristic or purpose we share. Our names create distinction and specificity, yet they also create the perception of separation. But we are not separate. We are connected. We are a miracle of people.

The etymology of a miracle is wonder. What if every time you noticed a group of people you said to yourself, ‘that’s a miracle of people.’ How would the terminology change the way you view society? Your belonging to and interaction with it? Would it transform your lens from that of separation and limitation to possibility and wonder?

Truth is, no matter how much we try to separate, isolate or create distinction between us, we are connected. Out of many people, one people. I was reminded of that this week.

“No matter how much we try to separate, isolate or create distinction between us, we are connected. That is our truth. Out of many people, one people.”

My mom works at the Bancroft School. She asked me to speak at their annual Special Olympics banquet. On Tuesday, I spoke. I'll be honest, I didn't know what to say - these athletes face challenges and experiences - I've never ever faced. I didn't know anything about them - why they played or what they got from it. I didn't know what message they needed to hear. I didn't know so I did what I always do when I don't know what to do, I followed my heart, I saw the connection between me and them, and let the words follow:

"Never Give up on You. Celebrate You. Celebrate what makes you you, what makes you different, and unique, and valuable. Celebrate that special thing that you, and only you, can give to the world. Because if you don’t celebrate it, if you don’t celebrate yourself, no one else can, and there are a lot of people in this room, and beyond its walls that want to celebrate you. So share you with the world. The world needs you."

The 6 Social Attributes

Communication - ability to effectively exchange information, how we deliver and receive information

Empathy - ability to understand the experiences of another

Influence & Collaboration - the ability to bring people together to shape, influence and create a desired outcome

Support - ability to assist, nurture, and uplift another

Relationships and Networks - a dynamic web of relationships that fulfill serve multi-dimensional purposes

Culture and Community - A constantly evolving, shared environment within which individuals live, perform, create, connect and grow

I watched the remainder of the night in awe. The hugs, the love, the banter, the unique joy of simply being together to celebrate the togetherness of sport. I just met these people, and I felt a part of their special night. Sometimes we get so caught up in the reason for being a part of something, and how we are supposed to play our part in it that we forget to celebrate the simple beauty and power of coming and being together. The remarkable thing isn't to be the star or standout, the remarkable thing is to be a part of something bigger than yourself.

The funny thing is, how we relate to and perceive others, and our belonging to the world, is merely an extension of how we relate to and view ourselves. The degree to which you know, love and celebrate yourself, is the degree to which you can know, love, and celebrate anyone, or anything else.

So celebrate you, and share you. The world needs you. Each of us is a small part of something way bigger, and that is what makes us remarkable.

So let's come together, and be remarkable because we are a miracle of people.

Discover Within, Expand Beyond,

Rachel