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Classroom-2-Boardroom: Build Your Kitchen Table
5-minute read: When the going gets tough, the going seeks collaboration, not isolation.
Hi friends ๐๐พ
Happy Tuesday. Welcome to Issue 5 of Classroom-2-Boardroom (formerly Follow Your Money).ย
๐๐พLast week, we talked about the importance of execution and getting things done. ๐
Today, weโre diving into how to get things done, but not alone. ๐จโ๐จโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ๐จโ๐ฉโ๐ฆ
This weekโs Issue was heavily inspired by the Forever First Lady, Michelle Obama and her book- The Light We Carry.
CLASSROOM-2-BOARDROOM
Issue 5: Build Your Kitchen Table
This may sound harsh but Iโve come to realize that If you want to go slow, please go ALONE. ๐คท๐พโโ๏ธ
If you truly want to FAST & FAR, donโt do it alone. ๐ฏโโ๏ธ
No one has ever truly done any great thing alone. No passion can wither in the face of communal supportโ if itโs the right one.ย ๐ฏ๐ฏ
๐๐พWhen the going gets tough, the going seeks collaboration, not isolation.ย ๐จโ๐ฉโ๐ฆ
The meaning of life is found not just in ourselves but in other people. โค๏ธ
To pursue your passion alone comes with a prize but my friends, the price you pay is not worth the prize.ย ๐๐พโโ๏ธ๐คท๐พโโ๏ธ
Those who are in my close circle know how much I obsess over the former First Lady, Michelle Obama. โจ
I first read her book, Becoming, during the global lockdown and in the midst of the global pandemic, I found peace that makes no sense. ๐ฏ
Eventually, the title of her book ended up on my college essay as Becoming Me. Becoming More.ย ย ๐๐พ
Recently, she released another book titled โThe Light We Carryโ โจand there, she doubled down on the importance of building a Kitchen Table.ย ๐ฏ
See hereโs the catchโฆare you gonna catch itโ
๐๐พWhen you choose to follow your heart and do odd things, youโre choosing an unconventional pathโ a path with more failures than success.
Youโre choosing to be uncomfortable with problems and comfortable with setbacks.ย ๐บ๐พ
While your friends are making 3 career bets every 5 years, youโre making 1 passion bet, every 5-10 years.ย ๐คฆ๐พโโ๏ธ
Itโs the hardest thing youโll do but also the most rewarding experience youโll haveโ if you do it the right way.ย ๐ฏ๐ฏ
I know what youโre thinkingโ โSo Dulra, whatโs the right wayโโ
Well, hereโs the twist, my friends. The โright wayโ is relative to the entity in charge- YOU. ๐ ๐พโโ๏ธ
Sadly I donโt know what the right way is for you. But I know what the left way isโ doing things alone.ย ๐ค
Simply put, โKitchen Table is the cabinet of good friends beyond oneโs family who are each otherโs cheerleadersโ - Michelle Obama.
So what/who characterizes your Kitchen Tableโ
Your Kitchen Table will provide you with โemotional shelter, good humor, and communal shelterโย
Your Kitchen Table is never stagnant, always evolving through time and space.ย ๐ฏ
No one person, no one relationship will fulfill your every need. ๐ฏ
Not every person at your Kitchen Table will show up how you need them and when you need them.ย ๐ฏ
Itโs okay to bring in new people but itโs also okay to downsize your Kitchen Table.ย ๐ฏ
Youโll never not need them.ย ๐ฏ
Itโs not IF you need themโbut WHEN you need them.ย ๐ฏ
Yet, itโs not a one-sided relationship. You want to invest in your kitchen table, as much as they are investing in you. ๐บ๐พ
You can only harvest what you plant. You canโt depend on a relationship you didnโt nurture.ย โจ๐ฏ
Your Kitchen Table could be 5 people, could be 1 person, could be 3โ doesnโt matter.ย ๐
Ad Breakโฆ
Dot is a cash-to-cashless experience for immigrant students in Africa.
We are currently performing internal user acceptance testing, if youโd like to experience this or know someone who might, please sign up to join the waitlist below and youโll be the first to know when we go public.
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Simon Sinek, in one of his videos, consciously or unconsciously summarizes a few things about your Kitchen Table below: ๐๐พ
He said ๐ค๐พ โAll you need is one person (Kitchen Table) in your life who saysโฆย
You got this, I believe in you.ย
Cause then, youโll find the courage and energy to do things that you would not have done before.ย ๐บ๐พ
More importantly, they also say if anything goes wrong, Iโll be there for you. Iโll be there with you and Iโll be in the mud with you.ย ๐จโ๐ฉโ๐ฆ
Your Kitchen Table has the ability to say something is wrong. Iโm worried about you.๐คย
Your Kitchen Table will protect you from burnout.๐๐พ
Because burnout happens when youโre trying to do all of the things you see other people do without realizing that they have deep meaningful relationships that you canโt see.๐ฏ๐ฏ
And you think, falsely, that you have to do it aloneโ thatโs when burnout happens.ย ๐ ๐พโโ๏ธ
Because you as an individual donโt have the energy to do it alone. ๐ ๐พโโ๏ธ
But [through your Kitchen Table] and in community, relationship, and friendship, what you can do is remarkable.โ ๐๐
Lastly, the power of a Kitchen Table is in the community.ย ๐ค๐พ
Your Kitchen Table should be diverse & if possible filled with different people.ย โจ
Collectively, their strengths are beyond measure.ย ๐ฏ๐ฏ
You have one job- one job, my friends.ย ๐ค๐พ
Lean into their strengths cause then youโll become unstoppable (as the song says). ๐ฏ
Lean into the light they carry cause then you canโt be ignored.ย ๐ฏ
When light competes with light, it creates glare (otherwise blindness) but when light mixes with other lights, it creates a rainbow.ย โจโค๏ธ
Therefore, my friends, I encourage you to set out to build your Kitchen Table- round or square.ย Build it!
Donโt go through this journey of life, alone. The prize is not worth the price.
Quote of the week
๐๐พWhen the going gets tough, the going seeks collaboration, not isolation.๐๐พ
Ad Breakโฆ
Dot is a cash-to-cashless experience for immigrant students in Africa.
We are currently performing internal user acceptance testing, if youโd like to experience this or know someone who might, please sign up to join the waitlist below and youโll be the first to know when we go public.
Ad Endsโฆ
Donโt Forget to be Awesome!
Dulra โค๏ธ
Founder/CEO, Dot.
Classroom-2-Boardroom: Build Your Kitchen Table
Simply brilliant Dulra. I love your posts! Keep going!!!