The World Cup, A Global Reminder That Your Already Playing For Team You

Welcome to the Soul of Innovation podcast. I am Thomas Anglero. I want to tell you a story about the World Cup and how it gave the greatest sense of belonging to a global community. And it was fantastic and it was sad at the same time. Let me tell you a story. The World Cup, the country of Norway did the most incredible thing. This little country of a little over 5 million people made it so far in the World Cup. The whole world fell in love with this little country and its row, row fantastic. To be a part of this excitement in the whole world, you didn't have to be a 6-foot, 2-meter tall blonde. You just needed to buy a Norwegian shirt. Sponsored by Nike. And with that shirt, you became part of the Norwegian phenomenon, this fascination, this incredible moving group of exciting, incredible people. And it was fun. I've seen people in my neighborhood who've never spoken to anyone, who've never smiled a day in their life, and absolutely nobody smiled back at them because they are not good people. Money is their god, and that is it. And I saw them walking around with these Norwegian shirts, team football shirts, soccer in the US, and they felt like they were belonging to the community. They were part of the club. They were one of the people. And now that Norway is lost, they're lonely again. They have nothing to belong to. Maybe for a day or so they'll talk about the loss to strangers, but then people look at them and go, "Who the hell are you?" And their life goes back to being what it was. No more long— no longer belonging to a community, no longer feeling cool, no, like, no longer feeling like being one of the gang, going back to your desolate, isolated lives. Why? Why is that? Because people have forgotten this always been about people. The beauty of the World Cup and the Norwegian phenomenon was that it brought people together. It didn't matter what your name was, your background, your school, which part of the country you were born on, which country you, you carried a passport for. As long as you cheered for the Norwegian team and had that Norwegian shirt on, you were cool, you were part of it. Well, as long as you're believing, living breathing, talking. Matter of fact, even if you're not talking and you're blind, you're still part of a bigger, cooler club, and that's the human race. And you have the right to talk to anyone, and people should talk to you back. Smile and hug and cheer and enjoy each other's company. It doesn't take a World Cup and one team in the top of the world in the Nordic countries to make that happen. But it take— it took that little team to make it obvious that we've lost our way. It's not about sports. That was a reminder that everyone around you is part of your team and you are part of theirs. Are you, now that the World Cup is over and your team has lost, or maybe your team has won, Are you still talking to strangers? Are you still smiling at strangers when you go by them, giving them the thumbs up? When you sit down and lay down at the beach, you smile at the person next to you, you're polite. Maybe you buy them a drink just to be nice. Maybe you buy them some ice cream for their kids because their kids look hungry or thirsty, or just to be nice. You were buying the people next to you beers, drinks during the World Cup. Why don't you continue that behavior now with anybody to your left, anybody to your right? What's changed? You're still part of the world's greatest team. It's a team of 8 billion people all rooting to kick butt in life, to love one another, see each other, embrace each other. And we're all around you. Just like during the World Cup when you were standing there with your buddies or you're sitting there cheering with everybody with the shirt on, everybody sharing the same commonality. That has been every day of your life. Your entire life. It's never stopped. But it's cheaper than buying that expensive Nike shirt with the country of Norway on it. All those colors. This one's free. You just have to lift your head up and look and breathe and say hello. Smile, which costs you nothing. Ask people how are they doing and honestly listen. Look at someone, not with a glance. But look at them. Look into their eyes. Feel their soul. You're part of the greatest team who's ever played on this planet with the longest winning streak in the history of mankind. And you're always guaranteed to win. There are ups and downs, as life always has. But you're the captain. You can also be just a player. You can also be the coach. You'll have times where you have an injury. You have times of success. It's people around you will lift you up. And there'll be times that people around you want to crush you because you made a mistake. That is sports, but that's actually life. Embrace the life you have and let this World Cup be a reminder to you. Every day is a World Cup. Every day you belong to a team. Every day everybody around you is cheering you on and think you're cool as hell and wish you the best. And you should feel the same for them. Go forth and spread beauty and light. It took a football event on a global level to remind the world we are one team, Team Planet Earth. Team Humanity. Team Love. Don't forget that. I'm Thomas Anglero. I love you. I believe in you. And I'm rooting for you. Go team you. You're awesome. Until next time.