Hidden Lesson of the Ryder Cup

The recently concluded Ryder Cup Competition was a well fought match between the top rated golf professionals of the USA and Europe. This competition began in 1927 and occurs every two years, alternating the location from a site in the USA to a site in Europe. There is a strong sense of history and national pride that accompanies this competition. The Ryder Cup began as and remains an atypical golfing event in that there are no individual awards. The Ryder Cup is a team competition - the USA against Europe - for national pride, and the only goal or prize is for the team to win.

Let's take a second to look at precisely how this team competition goes directly against the nature of golf. Golf, which dates back to the 15^th century, is a purely individual event. At the heart of golf, you have one person with one desire to win for their own attainment of victory. Now, you could argue that the golfers do get assistance from their caddies, but in the end, they are they only one swinging the golf club and they are the ones taking full responsibility for the consequences of that swing. If I am the golfer, then the result is all about me.

So how does a team prepare for a competition that goes directly against the very nature of the sport? Easy! They do exactly what they have always done. They prepare and practice the same way they do for an individual competition. The only thing that changes is in their intention and the goal. They now practice with the intention to contribute to the goal of the team. They no longer are working hard for themselves. They are working hard for the team. The goal is no longer about Me it is about Us.

Anyone who has participated on any type of team can attest to the synergy that gets created when individual goals are melted into one desire for the same goal. This is also a key concept in the study of Kabbalah. The science of Kabbalah helps us to understand questions like "What is the meaning of my life?" One of the key components in the study of Kabbalah is that we all need to be on one team with one desire to grow closer to our Creator. As with any other team effort, the more we let go of our personal desires and focus on the great goal of the team, the greater chance that the entire team will achieve their goal.

What would the world be like today, if it were more popular to let go of our personal desires and focus on those desires that would bring the greater good to so many? What would the world be like if the popular fashion was always to think of what is in it for the whole and not to think what is in it for me? What would the world look like if it were the norm to give more than you receive? What would this world look like?