Finding Unity Through ‘Ubuntu’

My time in the service taught me so much — it taught me discipline, sacrifice, what service truly meant on a greater scale, what camaraderie can help you achieve. Through all of the lessons learned, my greatest takeaway from serving our country is to strive towards the idea of unity; what can actually happen when we make the decision to come together behind a common goal. 

Aristotle once said, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” — we are better together than individually, and we can accomplish more when we focus on unifying. Yet, the idea of unity is a lot easier to say than it is to actually achieve. 

In the year of 2020, it is growing harder and harder to find things that create that sense of unity. We are suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic, racial injustice, a divided election, and a physical disconnect unlike anything we’ve experienced before.

It’s time to ask ourselves, how do we actually unify? What are practical ways for us as individuals to unify together? For me personally, the key to being able to unify with not only ourselves, but with our teams and our communities is through the idea of compassion. 

Compassion is defined as a deep awareness of people and the unreserved willingness to alleviate their struggle through a tangible expression of love.  It’s what makes a group of individuals into a great team.  And what makes a great team is the intentional effort to be compassionate for each other, and to each other. That doesn’t come naturally. 

I recently had the opportunity to watch the Netflix Docs-Series: The Playbook. The series features Doc Rivers, current NBA Coach, and former coach of the 2008 NBA Champion Boston Celtics. He spoke about what allowed his championship team to unify and accomplish something most felt impossible; it was rallying around the word, “ubuntu.”

Ubuntu is an African proverb from the Zulu tribe, most noticeably picked up in South Africa. It’s been described as “the essence of being human”. Ubuntu is two things: it is the self, and how we are connected to others. I AM because WE ARE. But how do we really show compassion to others? It begins by first being introspective with ourselves.  

Be Intentional. ?

Compassion is not a talent, but a skill you can develop over time. It’s a catalyst to unlocking otherwise dormant potential, but it takes effort to get there. You have to be willing to obsess over the minute details, to put the time into making yourself better.  When you live your life through this lens, it can have a profound impact not only on you as an individual, but also for those you interact with. 

The Voice Inside Your Head. ?

We tend to think negatively about ourselves but positively about others. “I’m not a good public speaker.” “I can’t run a 5k, so I wouldn’t be able to finish a marathon.” “I can’t be a good mentor.” “I’m not as good as he/she is.” All of these limiting beliefs stop us from reaching our full potential. Next time you find yourself down this path of thinking, stop and ask yourself why it’s so easy to compliment someone else, but yet so hard to give yourself any credit. You’ll find that reason to be you actually aren’t showing yourself any compassion at all. 

Let The Past Be The Past. ?

We latch onto old stories about ourselves, but whatever has happened to you has gotten you here. Who you were at 10 years old does not define who you are at 32 years old, and who you might be at 67 years old. If you struggled in school at a young age and are still telling yourself that you aren’t smart enough, you are holding onto your past. And when you do that, it holds you back from creating the best version of yourself — ultimately hindering your ability to show compassion for who you might have been, or what you might have done. Forgive yourself for the things that didn’t work out, for the people you might have failed, for any wrongdoings you have made along the way. Being kind to yourself begins with forgiving yourself for the things you cannot change. From there, you can cultivate a new relationship with yourself, practice self care, celebrate your qualities, stop trying to be perfect and believe in who you are. When you are compassionate to yourself, you can pass it along to others.

Your Comfort Zone Can Be Dangerous. ?

Our past and our limiting beliefs cause us to stay stuck in our realm of comfort. But being in your comfort zone is a dangerous place. It prevents you from improving and achieving all the things you are capable of achieving. So, try stepping outside your comfort zone. Try new things that might not come naturally. Have conversations with individuals from a different upbringing or background to expand your perspective. When you open yourself up to new experiences, you allow for more room to show compassion and understanding to new people, places and things.

Don’t Forget About YOU. ?

We all find ourselves in situations where we have to be so much for so many people. We have kids, families, siblings, co-workers, mentees, neighbors…it can easily feel like everyone is counting on you, thus allowing us to forget about ourselves. This creates an uneven foundation — with ubuntu, there cannot be a WE ARE without I AM.  We are culprits of getting wrapped up in the notion that being compassionate to others is easier than showing it to ourselves; mainly because of what we tell ourselves about ourselves.  

We Are All Interconnected. 

?We think of ourselves far too frequently as individuals, like we are on an island. Ubuntu is about realizing that we have an interconnectedness to us. Every single thing we do has a ripple effect — it goes beyond an individual. If you are able to feel compassion towards yourself, you will understand how to feel compassion toward others — which is the key to finding true unity.

For more information on ‘Unity Through Compassion’, check out these video sections from Power’s 2020 Virtual Veteran Summit.