I am happy it’s Monday.  Not that I don’t wish for another relaxing weekend to come along sooner than later, but I’m ready to get back to my regular job.  Summertime brings about home improvement projects, some cleaning out and cleaning up projects, and at our house: lots of outside time. As a result of our cleaning, fixing, organizing, and water-logged fun activities, my body has taken a beating.

I have bug bites, bruises, a bit of a sunburn, and non-existent nails that used to sport a nice manicure just a few days ago.  How can all of this happen in such a short amount of time, and was the effort worth it?

The gratification that I now feel by seeing the results of my labor are amazing.  The time and effort I put into earning those physical imperfections are well worth the outcome.  Taking one for the team sometimes means giving up or dealing with a minor setback for the greater good of the group.  In my case this weekend, I took one (or several) for my team and am better off for it.

When have you “taken one for the team?”  Were you cajoled into it, or did you do it willingly?  We often have to make split-second decisions for the benefit of those around us, and sometimes those decisions can be painful to make.  But when looking at the outcome, you many times are better off taking that hit, as the outcome is greater than anything you could produce without any bumps along the way.