"I am because we are"

An anthropologist proposed a game to the kids in an African Tribe. He put a basket full of fruit near a tree and told them that whoever got there first won the sweet fruits. When he gave them the signal to run they all took each other's hands and ran together, then sat in a circle enjoying their treats.

When he asked them why they chose to run as a group, when they could have had more fruit individually, one child spoke up and said, "UBUNTU! How can one of us be happy if all the others ones are sad?"

'Ubuntu' in the Xhosa culture mean; "I am because we are."

What a beautiful saying! What if we all lived like this? Lifting each other up as we excelled? What if our goal in life was to make sure everyone was happy first and put ourselves last? What if our greatest achievements actually didn't come from the happiness of ourselves but our success for how well we made others happy?

In my opinion we should live like that. We should lift others higher than ourselves. We should teach and instruct and lead in a way that make others progress and become happy. Being a leader doesn't mean you are on top of your organization. Being a leader means you know how to inspire others, motivate others, change others, and set the standard for the company or institution you work for.

Not only did these African children speak volumes when they said, "Ubuntu", but this should inspire all of us to be just like them. To uplift one another and live our lives in a way that if one is sad then we need to work and be happy all together.