Cooperation

"Cooperation is working together for the good of all. It is the willingness to stand side by side and use the different gifts each of us has to offer. We seek common goals in service of a unified vision. We blend our abilities to create something none of us could achieve alone. Conflict and contention drain us. Cooperation can fuel our dreams. With cooperation, we help one another to share the load. We willingly do tasks that others ask of us. We look for ways to be helpful and ask for help when we need it. We do not isolate or harbor our loneliness. Together we accomplish greater things."

-excerpted with permission from Virtues Reflection Cards by Linda Kavelin Popov. http://www.virtuesproject.com/uscart/browse.html

Questions for reflection:

1. What conflict or contention drains me?

2. How can I work cooperatively with others to reach a common goal?

3. How can I ask for help when I need it?

4. How can cooperation help fuel my dreams?

Often when I have thought of Cooperation in the past, I have thought of young children in school being asked to work cooperatively. Recently, as I was pondering some life changes with friends, I picked the virtue of Cooperation and I saw it in a new way, a way that is very relevant to my life. The phrase that struck me was that I can ask for help when I need it. I know that there is help available when I need it. I don't have to know everything about a topic, or do all of the thinking by myself. I can ask others for their suggestions or their help. This knowledge has helped me release worry and fear and know that I am not alone.- Betsy

"I am thankful for the gift of Cooperation. It brings me into community."
-Linda Kavelin Popov