Oxen. That’s what this is about. Oxen. But not really. That’s kind of just a ruse. Or is it?
Maybe It’s about Eggs
When I was a kid, I remember sitting in church hearing about unequal yoking. No, that has nothing to do with eggs or Swedish jokes. It was trying to show how people who come from two different faith backgrounds can have difficulty together. It used a metaphor about oxen.
No, It’s Really about Oxen
See oxen are yoked together. That basically means they have a wooden beam connected to the two of them so they can pull together. That yoke can help them pull a cart, a plow, or whatever. It helps them work together.
The yoke helps the oxen pull equally. If the oxen don’t, the yoke becomes a heavy burden, wedging against their shoulders painfully. Over time oxen pulling at the same speed are more effective than two faster oxen of differing speeds
Actually, It’s Really Not
Life is tough. It requires hard work. And success requires discipline. When you partner with people, you need to find people that operate at your pace. And when they don’t, you either need to find new people to work with, run at their pace, or inspire them to run at yours.
The best teams are the ones that run together and work with each other. There isn’t one person pulling or one person being dragged; everyone is working together. When you work on a team, you want to make sure you are pulling the cart. You want to make sure you are participating, whether it is a relationship, a work group, or an organization.
It’s about Life
Make sure you are not being pulled or trying to pull others. Instead, work to contribute and inspire others to contribute. Simply put, the best way to move ahead is with others, and the best way to move with others is together.
Pull the cart.
