yin 'n yang

3-min: you can’t sustain what you can’t balance.

Hi friends 👋🏾

Happy Wednesday,

Welcome to Issue 20 of classroom-2-boardroom. This is a 3-min read, no more no less

So in the last newsletter, we talked about an unwritten truth- that life will demand you to be good at multiple things and wear multiple hats anyway. 🤷🏾‍♀️

So why not practice that as a student-entrepreneur when you still can? 🕺🏾

More specifically, we said…

Going from zero to one as a student-founder is not about being a rockstar in the boardroom and a flop in the classroom.🙅🏾‍♀️

Going to school and being an entrepreneur doesn’t have to be word and opposite- as long as you have the right support and environment. 🤌🏾

Being a student-founder isn't a binary battle. 🙅🏾‍♀️

But what I didn’t mention was wearing multiple hats is as important as being able to balance those hats.

You can’t sustain what you can’t balance.

The goal is not to wear and flaunt multiple hats but to develop the skills to balance those hats. 👌🏾

Enter the universe and we’re reminded of the ancient yin and yang symbol- ☯️ representing harmony between opposing yet complementary forces. ✌🏾

Though distinct, yin and yang are interdependent and can only exist in relation to each other.

Neither is superior, and both are vital. 🫨

Our entire world is built on balance:

balance between good and evil

balance between light and darkness

balance between day and night

the balance between animals and plants

Everywhere we look, we’re reminded that truly,

Balance is a virtue.

In fact, legend has it that virtue is the balance between two extremes. 😇

Being a student-founder is a virtue, one that’s built on the balance between two extremes- a student and a founder. ☯️

Balance, in this world then, is not about erasing priorities. 🙅🏾‍♀️

It’s about rearranging priorities. 🤷🏾‍♀️

At times, the only way to optimize your output is to decrease your input. 👌🏾

I know it sounds counterintuitive. 😃

But think of any time you were pouring liquid into a funnel. 🤔

Many times, you had to slow down. 🙂

If you didn’t stop or slow down, your liquid would overflow and become a mess. 😭

The key is to control the flow, like that little finger on the funnel neck.

Just as you pause the water to let it drain properly, we need to pause and adjust our priorities throughout the day. ✨

That’s what balance is all about- rearranging priorities.

Balance isn't about perfection, it's about progress.

In fact, the true reflection of balance is progress over perfection.

Show me a friend who’s working towards progress and I’ll show you a friend who’s faithful to balance

So, my friends.

• Embrace the Intersections: Yin and Yang aren't separate entities, they're two sides of the same coin.
  
  Don't compartmentalize your "hats." 🙅🏾‍♀️
  
  Find the Yin within the Yang- the quiet within the chaos. 🙂
  
  Let your work life work with your personal life, and vice versa.
  

• Seek the Sweet Spot: Balance isn't about striving for some rigid 50/50 split.

  

  Some days, your student hat might need a night under Calculus homework 🫣, others, your founder hat might require a night under the stars 😌.
  
  Listen to your intuition.🫨
  
  Feel the ebb and flow. 😇
  
  Find the sweet spot where both hats feel just right. 💯
  

• Let Go of Perfection: The quest for balance is just that – a quest. 💁🏾‍♀️

There will be days when grades are not grading and it seems like life is not life-ing.

Don't beat yourself up. 🙅🏾‍♀️

Accept the down moments. 😃

Don’t deny them. Just don’t let them destroy you.

Learn from them, and adjust your steps.

🤌🏾 Remember, balance is not about erasing priorities. It’s about readjusting them.

May the balance of the universe be with you, my friends. ✌🏾

Until next time,

Don’t Forget to be Awesome!

Dulra ❤️

Founder/CEO, Dot.