I don’t know about anyone else, but I genuinely feel like I would not be a functional human without my cell phone. Not only does it tell me how I should cry about my packed schedule, hold a bunch of pictures I need to delete, and give me hours of dreams that I plan on eventually chasing once I have this mythical concept some folks call “time”, but it keeps me connected to my people. My village. The people that make it possible for me to keep my schedule, give me subjects to capture in the pictures I keep, and help me find the energy to pursue my goals.
Over the years, I have learned that I am one person. I can’t be two places at one time. Sometimes I have to sleep. Sometimes I have to eat (at times like a two-year-old). Many times I have to remind myself just to wash my hair. Having a career while trying to maintain any other responsibilities in life can be challenging for anyone. Without even knowing it, we have all created little teams and villages of people that make it possible for us to function.
I found this out very quickly when I moved to Lansing. I didn’t know anyone; it was just me and my two kids. I had to figure out how I could work at Mead & Hunt, work part-time at Menards for 25 to 30 hours a week, plus spend quality time with my kids. It was hard, but it was made possible by the people who cared enough about us to help out when I realized I’m human and Multiplicity was just a movie.
This same concept that I learned through my personal life I found could also be applied to my work. Instead of being a knock to my career, this lesson actually helped me professionally.
At work, none of us can say that we take a project from an idea all the way to implementation all by ourselves. It takes a dedicated, reliable, focused group of people to take a vision to reality. So whenever you are feeling like the ATM, taxicab, nurse, referee, personal chef, travel agent, coach, and maid all wrapped into one human, remember, you don’t have to do it all alone. You can always reach out to your village.
And remember that you are also a part of somebody else’s village. At times we may not appreciate all of the moving parts to our world, but the people who make our work and lives possible deserve to know when they are appreciated. Just like it fills our tank when we hear someone thank us or acknowledge our efforts, we need to do what we can to always let our personal and professional villages know that we value their existence. Gratitude feels good anyway, so why not use that cell phone to share some with your villages?
