Teamwork Makes The Dream Work

That's a John C. Maxwell quote, by the way. In case you were wondering. Always cite your sources, readers! Yesterday, I attended a volleyball game at my school. Don't ask me why I haven't gone before - the truth is, I don't have a clue! Now, I'm not much of a team sports girl, which I definitely regret, because IT WAS SO AMAZING! For one, volleyball is pretty easy to catch on to. I'd never been exposed to it, but after the first game, I understood the basic rules. I'm sure the girls put in a ton of work into make the game flow so easily and seem so effortless. From my seat at the bleachers, however, it appeared to be a perfectly orchestrated dance. Next, cheering on your friends is nothing short of a blast! My friends are the most kind, supportive people ever; therefore, it was fantastic to be able to return the favour. Do you remember Maddi and her excellent Guest Post? She did so well, as did my friends Alexa, Daniela, and Emma! I was so proud to be on the stands on their behalf. Finally, I found the supportive atmosphere to be sensational. Even after a bad serve or a foul, they circled up to pat each other on the back. A mistake was never on the shoulders of one teammate. Instead, everyone took the burden. While you could tell they were disappointed after their opponents scored, they constantly encouraged one another. That, dear reader, is a wonderful thing; the only reason the girls ever looked down was the pick someone else up. The finale was no different. My school lost the matches; despite this, the young ladies from the other academy high-fived every member of my team. Perhaps it is just customary to do so. Nonetheless, I found their sportsmanship and motivation to be outstanding.
You can't do everything alone, and the volleyball game was a superb exemplar of that. It took me ages to learn this lesson. At school, I used to take on all the work during group projects. I tried so hard to be the best. I competed with everyone, all the time, and was never good enough for myself. One day, my dad came home from parent teacher conferences. The one comment my teachers had for Miss Maya was as follows:
"She pushes herself too hard. She is going to burn out."

To be honest, I took this as a major blow. It hurt, badly. How could they say I was on the brink of breaking? I would show them. I would be perfect. Unfortunately, this didn't work out. My perfectionism deepened. I stopped eating. I kept working. I burned out. They were right.
Now, I recognize the importance of teamwork. It is crucial to trust your friends, and your peers. That is just the way this world works. Do you want something? Great! You are simply not going to be able to get it all by yourself. You have to rely on the people you love to build a bridge and help you across, as you contribute the best of your ability. No one is perfect. In the words of Emily Skye, "Remember, perfection doesn't exist. What you may see as flaws are what make you unique and amazing."
On that note, I would like to address one problem I had while watching the volleyball game (in complete awe, mind you). Emma was sitting next to me on the bleachers.
"Look at that girl, number eleven," she would say. "That girl is so beautiful. I want to know what she does!" I was sort of shocked. Here were these incredible young women, playing an incredible sport, playing it well, and the one thing she was focused on was how they looked? Janhavi agreed with Emma. There were a few high school girls helping to ref the game.
Janhavi pointed at them: "I want to look just like that when I'm in high school!" she gushed. It made me sad to hear them talk about the beauty of others as though it made them inferior; hence, I told them that they are pretty, too. "Thanks," they said dryly. Emma and Janhavi clearly didn't believe me. They didn't believe that they are pretty. Isn't that depressing?
Here is the moral of the story: volleyball is super cool, but the best element is the sense of family and support, no matter the course of the match. The only way to win is to pull your own weight, but to do so together. The second? Perfection is an illusion, one that society has implanted in our minds. While we would like it to be real, it just isn't, like mermaids and unicorns. Everyone has a quirk. Some people have a few pimples, and others don't like their short stature. But these flaws make us imperfectly perfect. It's not worth your time or effort to compare yourself to other people. Keep wishing on that shooting star, but you will always be you. May as well make the best of it! It is very hard, but try to appreciate the body, personality, and wonder that you are. Imagine what happened before now for you to exist. Men and women have died, generations have passed, and history has been written - all leading to you. Now isn't that some food for thought?

Also, why can't boys play volleyball? Why can only girls enroll? Maybe I should write a petition.

Remember: teamwork is vital, and self love should be for always!
-Maya

Photo by Seth Doyle on Unsplash, Photo by Shea Rouda on Unsplash