It’s Swahili, and it translates to “I see you”.
I see you for who you are. The effort you put forth. The support you lend to others. I see you for the paths you are willing to forge on your own. The growth you experience through your own trials, and the encouragement you give to those who have yet to experience their own.
Although tribal in nature, where everyone “is one”, the Swahili people make an effort that is almost too foreign in today’s rigors of fast-paced living.
They see each other for who they are. At the core. Unmasked and raw. They see each others’ physical appearance, but more importantly, they see their fellow tribes people’s empathy, ethics, and most importantly, how, not why, they… “show up” in the face of adversity, challenges, celebrations or victories.
We embody a very similar mindset. We have forgotten to clearly redefine it, but incidentally, we are “it”. Even in today’s global village, where everyone is connected and interconnected, we are “it”.
Modern-day fitness is tribal. CrossFit is tribal. We band together. We work out and sweat together. We cheer for each other and we collectively grow when one of us fails in an attempt to complete an exercise. In the momentum of the tribe, we almost surrender our individuality for the sake of the group.
The saying goes “if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
Instinctively, we know that we’ll go farther together. In a very guttural sense, we feed off each other’s energy. We grow stronger, faster and more determined when we experience the crowd induced rush of adrenaline. To some degree, and in the most positive sense, we are codependent.
However, at the end of the day, what we have become as a group, is presupposed by who we are as individuals. Ultimately, the epiphany is that we will always have to go the final yards on our own. Regardless of adrenaline rushes, it is our conviction and mental fortitude propelling us to the next level of accomplishments.
Independent of our tribal spirit, we all fight individual battles. Everyone one of us experiences levels of individual self-consciousness. Some even compound it with detrimentally increased levels of self-awareness.
We strive to live up to the ideals that we set forth for our own, or attempt to follow those who set the ideals for social norms. Oftentimes, though, we fall into the trap of wanting to be both.
It’s that self-consciousness, that prevents many who want to change their lives, from actually changing their lives.
Ultimately, your tribe will always come to your rescue. And the best tribes will continue to ensure that they uphold the Swahili standards of “nakuona” – “I see you”.