Different Players, Same Team

Jan 8, 2023

It was an emotional week for the NFL. I was watching the game on Monday night when one of the players, Damar Hamlin, suffered cardiac arrest after making a tackle. After being administered CPR and tended to for about 30 minutes on the field, he was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

I continued to watch as grieving players and fans from different teams came together in concern for this young man. They prayed, cried, hugged, and comforted each other. Additionally, the decision was made that the game would not continue, as at that time, football was no longer the focus or concern.

I’ve been following this story throughout the week. Watching how everyone has responded to this incident has made my heart swell and restored my faith in humankind. It’s sad to me that sometimes it takes a real tragic shake-up for us to put our differences aside and connect on a basic empathetic human level.

From a behavior standpoint, the lesson I’m walking away with is to remember that ultimately we are all on the same team. I forget this – a lot. When I have disagreements with friends, co-workers, and family members, my default is to turn to judgement and focus on my perspective, clinging to polarities of who’s right and wrong.

How different would our world be if when we experienced conflict with others, we looked beyond the surface beliefs and behaviors and found common ground on which to connect? With it being a new year of new resolutions, hopefully we can all try better to do this, and ultimately find out.

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