What’s in it for me?

As parents and educators, we can often get frustrated by both this stated question or just the implication.  We want our children or students to do something and we receive a response that is something like, “What’s in it for me?”  Well, maybe nothing right now, but in the long term there is much to gain and learn.  With a focus on servant leadership, we try to instill in our students that the personal gain in helping others is intrinsic.  Personal gain is also provided in the journey toward accomplishment.

I have recently watched a few movies - Young Woman and the Sea and Nyad.  These flicks were moving, inspiring, and thought-provoking.  I enjoyed both very much and have been thinking about these people and their lives.  Kind of ironic that I have been so taken by movies and people so connected to swimming.  Me?  Swimming?  Hmmm.  IYKYK!

There are things that people do that defy logic.  Most in the world wonder why.  They ponder the sanity of the endeavor.  We shouldn’t be surprised.  Humankind has this natural inclination to test the limits and push the envelope.  It’s been happening since the dawn of time.  Early man breaking off from an established group to live somewhere else.  People crossing deserts, mountains, and oceans for trade.  People sailing across unknown waters.  People leaving the safety of the known to make new lives in the New World and then across the frontier.  

Eventually, this leads to individuals using the beliefs they have in themselves to do things that others feel are impossible.  Doing things for themselves requires digging deep for the resolve to accomplish.

In these movies, it is the resolve of Trudy Ederle to swim the English Channel and Diane Nyad to swim from Cuba to Florida.  Both face obstacles and failures in their quests.  Both remain steadfast and determined to eventually conquer the goal. What strikes me is that in reality, there isn’t much in it for either of them aside from personal satisfaction.  Yes, there is some notoriety, but it fades quickly for both.  Does there have to be some great reward?  I don’t think so.

As we promote servant leadership and individual scholarship, we must emphasize that the journey IS the reward.  The satisfaction of working hard to help others, gain knowledge, or develop skills is the reward.  Each day we are helping our students build who they are and who they will become.  This is the reward.