Unity is strength... when there is teamwork and collaboration

Mattie Stepanek, though young in years, spoke with the voice of an elder sage when he said: “Unity is strength… when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” These words, born from a soul who suffered greatly yet shone with wisdom, carry the ancient truth that no person is complete alone. Just as a single thread cannot make a garment, a lone hand cannot build a temple, and a single note cannot form a song, so too no great work in this world is done without unity. It is together, in collaboration, that human beings rise to their highest power.

The ancients often declared this truth in parable and story. The Spartans at Thermopylae, though few in number, stood as one body, each shield protecting the next, and their unity became their greatest weapon. The builders of the pyramids in Egypt did not labor as scattered men but as one people bound to a vision, and their works stand still as testimony. From the smallest village to the greatest empire, the principle is the same: strength does not lie in isolation, but in fellowship.

Consider the life of Mattie himself. Stricken with a rare disease, his body grew frail, yet his spirit soared. He could not walk the path of strength alone, so he joined hands with others—his mother, his friends, even great figures like Jimmy Carter—who carried his vision of peace forward. His own teamwork with those around him birthed the Heartsongs he wrote, poems that inspired millions. Though he was only a child, his words were magnified by the collaboration of all who believed in his dream. This is the power he spoke of, proven in his own short yet radiant life.

The meaning of his teaching is clear: when people strive alone, their victories are small and fleeting. But when they labor together, they multiply one another’s strength, each gift weaving into a greater whole. One farmer can sow a field, but a village can feed a nation. One voice can call for justice, but a chorus can shake the walls of empires. One hand can light a candle, but many together can set the night ablaze. Unity is the force that transforms weakness into power, despair into hope, and vision into reality.

Yet this truth is not easily lived, for pride whispers to each person: “I am enough. I will stand alone.” And in this pride, many falter. The ancients warned against this. A stick may be snapped in half with ease, but a bundle of sticks bound together resists the hand that tries to break it. So too with people: division weakens, but collaboration fortifies. To embrace teamwork is to embrace humility, patience, and trust—qualities harder to wield than weapons, yet stronger than steel.

The lesson for us is profound: seek not solitary glory, but shared achievement. When faced with a great task, ask, “Who can I join hands with?” When faced with despair, remember, “There are others who will lift me if I stumble.” And when you see another striving, lend your strength, for their victory will become yours as well. This is the eternal secret of unity: it transforms “mine” into “ours,” and in that transformation, wonders are born.

Therefore, let each soul practice this truth in daily life. In the home, work together rather than against each other. In the workplace, see colleagues not as rivals but as allies. In the community, choose cooperation over division. And in the world, remember that nations, too, are neighbors, and peace will come only when they learn to labor together. By small acts of collaboration, the greater harmony of humanity is built.

Thus Mattie Stepanek’s words endure as a hymn of hope: “Unity is strength… when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” Carry this teaching forward, and you will find that together with others, you can achieve what alone would seem impossible. For unity is not only the path to strength—it is the very song of life, binding us into one eternal symphony.