Sultans of the Net

I was listening to an NPR report covering the “Sultans of the Net”.  This is the nickname for the Turkish women’s national volleyball team.  They recently won the European championship and are ranked as the second-best team in the world.  The US women are the number one ranked team. They are both headed to Paris and the summer Olympics.  It will be a difficult ticket as women’s volleyball is growing in popularity.

I was watching my eleven-year-old granddaughter play volleyball with her teammates.  The demand to be on these teams, like those in Turkey, is growing.  She is a member of a group of uniquely gifted young women playing the sport.  Aside from winning what I noticed was the unique comradery of the team.  After every point they met in the middle of the court to touch hands and prepare for the next point.  It was an act of affirmation.  Affirming their support for each other, their ability and their friendship.  With this renewed strength they were prepared for the next point.  They performed this affirmation after every point.

I had lunch the other day with my dear friend and real estate agent.  There were two tables in the restaurant that caught my attention.  These two groups of women were celebrating the birthday of one of their friends.  I find that women are especially good at celebrating important events with their friends.  Giving support through crisis and celebratory events is a common female activity.   I witnessed the generosity of these two groups as they stopped to celebrate a friend and reaffirm their friendship and support.  A simple yet powerful act.  As demonstrated in the physical presents of the coming together of the young women on the volleyball court, generosity comes in various forms.

The common theme is the constant affirmation of friendship that is being expressed.  Volleyball seems to me to be uniquely suited to the female mind set of reaffirming friendship and support.  It is taught and mirrored at a very early age.  My granddaughter is being taught at every point in her game that she is part of a whole.  She is not the star yet she is the star as are all of her teammates.  At every point in the game the model of “I am part of a whole and that whole is the team” is being replayed as her colleagues meet in the center of the court and reaffirm their support for each other.

Affirmation is another way in which we can generously extend and give of ourselves.  Generosity of spirit is more effective than the generosity of the checkbook.    As we build relationships with our business colleagues, our clients and our friends, it is important to remind ourselves to think about the ways in which we can show generosity.    It does not have to have a numerical value as the richness of one’s presence is powerful and long lasting.  When building a relationship your generosity is a clear signal that you are sincere in your efforts and are bringing your present self to that effort.  Find a way to come to the center of the court to indicate that you are part of the whole and that the whole is better with your generosity