The Value of Your Village

When I was growing up, the expression was, “it takes a village”. A village to support you in making sure you stay on track and achieve the goals that were laid out before you. There was the babysitter, the person who walked you to and from school, maybe a tutor, your friends, your family and so on.

Nowadays, that has more significant meaning for me. I’m not a child anymore however the goals that I want to achieve are equally as important as they were when I was in my youth. The people that I have around me are invaluable to my growth and progress and play a huge part in the success I have.

These are individuals I can call on to guide me spiritually, emotionally and impart wisdom whenever I hit a crossroad.  They encourage me, support me, walk with me, talk me through and some even journey with me so that I don’t have to travel the roads alone. Someone is always there to make sure that I am covered.

I realized as I often do, how tired I am in the mental sense. When I sit and ponder why I am mentally tired I break down everything that I have going on. I am involved in a lot of activities and I signed up for most of them myself. Giving so much of yourself is exhaustive and rewarding at the same time. There are constant thoughts on how to improve and make things better.

My village, or team is phenomenal in every area that I am involved in. My gratitude for these individuals run deep because I know the good works that we do together could not be done without the contributions of each specific one and the unique talents that are bought into the cause. Everyone has a role to play.

I have a greater purpose at work. It drains me to sometimes think about how much work we have to do to change the culture. We have been going at it non-stop for a little more than a year. This week, I had to encourage them, and myself, that our hard work will pay off. As a team we are rock solid and we stand firm in our beliefs. Together we have already moved the needle. We must continue to keep our eyes on the bigger picture and press forward.

I am involved in several nonprofits. This week was a busy one for both of them.  In one instance we are preparing for a fundraiser while restructuring and the other had an annual audit. In my brilliance I get a bright idea on how to expand one of our programs and in the midst of a million other things began to do research and call up others to assist me in my thought process while the idea is still fresh. My village.

When I am feeling overwhelmed at work, I call a very specific person to discuss how I should navigate my feelings and recalibrate to center myself again, my mentor. When I need just to laugh, plain and simple, I call my best friend. When I need to hear good sound advice and feel calm, I call my sister. When I need to be checked and get the absolute truth and wisdom, I call my brother. When I need that boost, and to feel loved after getting beat down in the middle of the day, I call my husband.

These calls are interchangeable. My point is that I have a village. People I can call on to help ground me and who always have my back. No matter what a situation looks like, they are there. They show up, they rock with me and they encourage me to keep moving forward in the right direction.

I am fortunate that my village extends far beyond the few that I named. I value those who invest their time with me and see it not robbery to join forces to work along side me and do good in the world. I made a commitment yesterday to become a part of someone’s team in some capacity. I don’t know yet how but I know that I want to because I believe in what they are doing and how they are executing their plan. Results bring reward. The reward is seeing change happen.

No matter what you are doing in life, surround yourself with people that will uplift and support you. Be a support system for someone else. You never know what people are going through and just availing yourself with kind words or a shared laugh can make all of the difference in a day!

Until We Meet Again!

Be Safe Out There!

I love You ALL!!!!