On Thursday, October 22, more than 100 Pollenites woke up early and joined together in a conversation about reimagining life: When are we at our best? Are we ready for new challenges? What baggage do we need to shed? Before looking inward and answering these questions, a panelist of career and life reimaginers kicked us off by modeling vulnerability.
Sometimes you know exactly what you want and how to get it, and sometimes the answer isn’t as clear. But when you look ahead with curiosity and courage, the possibilities are endless.
Cecily:
Life changing moment: Cancer
“After my mastectomy, I looked down my gown and thought, I am so good. I am already whole. The rest is just about going through the process.”
Lesson: Time is short.
“It took time to recognize the voice rising in me, going NOOOOOOOOO! This is not working. I ask myself: Is your life working? Yes or no? And if I go thumbs up, I stay. I have to keep being a really good editor. Don’t wait too long to make a change.”
Lars:
Life changing moment: Sobriety
“December 31, 2010 was the last time that I drank. Waking up on January 1, 2011, I tried to imagine a life without alcohol. 1/1/11 was a very convenient date of rebirth for me and for my family.”
Lesson: Be thoughtful.
“Most people are opportunistic. I suggest thoughtfulness instead. What steps could I be taking to help make that next step more likely to happen. I tell folks, Why network? Why show up for a cup of coffee with a stranger? I think it is because you are trying to accelerate serendipity. As you learn in recovery, so much is not in our control. A new opportunity may not just happen to you. You must take action to change your career.”
Irene:
Life changing moment: Unemployment.
“About a year ago this week…I was an emotional wreck. My primary definer was one thing [her role as co-founder and co-executive director of Students Today Leaders Forever]. “Disorienting” resonates with me. It was how people oriented to me. Now that I was no longer working at STLF, I had to keep my crap together as people brought up STLF to me. Keeping ones crap together is generally difficult.”
Lesson: Fight tradition.
“Not having a job in our society is almost a crime. I got a lot of negative feedback about being on sabbatical and intentionally jobless. They said it would hurt my future opportunities. Six months away means every previous opportunity expires? Snowbirds actually gave me a lot of courage. They leave and when they return, everyone’s like, yay! They’re back.
We must reimagine existing behaviors. We should be equally critical of new paths and tradition.”
Lori:
Life changing moment: Moving.
“I grew up in a small town in southern Iowa. We were the only minority family and we were constantly dealing with bias and ignorance. Then I was accepted into St. Catherine University. As a Muslim woman, culturally, it is not the norm to leave home before marriage. And I was going far away for college. It instigated so many new things.”
Lesson: It is okay to move on.
“My last day working at the nonprofit I founded, CAIR-MN, was September 31, 2014. I got on a plane and spent a month in Southeast Asia. I let the person who took my place address the issues, just the way I had to. I was mindful of giving him space. I spent eight years building the infrastructure. If it will fall apart without me, I had failed all along.”