Slightly More Reflective
Let me start this with a few updates…
Last year I reached most of my goals. The half marathon convinced me not to run the full marathon 😂
Mantra: “Relax and run your race”
This was pretty fast for a first official one😤🦿 - nobody warned me about the difficulty of the race 😂 that was challenging
And candidly, after over a year of side-gigging throughout the craft beverage industry, I’m reconsidering whether or not it's in line with my long term goals.
Staring intently at a mediocre “red ale” 🍻 in Guatapé
I try to bring my joyful self to every interaction I have with family, friends, acquaintances, coworkers, customers, and more. I genuinely care about people and ensuring they feel welcomed and are positioned to thrive. This is something that I have infused into my vocation…I’ll dive deep into my career and servant leadership another time. I also believe it's incredibly important to advocate for my own wants and needs.
These values come into conflict often…
Reaching my goals while maintaining high levels of social interaction with a variety of different folks in my life from work, school, and everywhere else. Well, this definitely made the start of the year a doozy. Balancing my commitment to family, relentless work ethic, alcohol tolerance (or lack thereof), fitness discipline, high social battery, and all round busybody status was admittedly not fun. I was completely burnt out by April.
Thankfully, I was selected for the prestigious and intensive National Urban Fellowship (NUF)! NUF is “a 14-month fellowship with an intentional cohort of leaders and changemakers. NUF develops accomplished and courageous professionals of all ethnic and racial backgrounds, particularly people of color and women, to be leaders and change agents in the public and non-profit sectors, with a strong commitment to social justice and equity”
NUF photoshoot at the newly minted Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy Capitol Campus…if you look closely you can see the exhaustion in my eyes 😂
I dove headfirst into the fellowship in June, my ego inflated from powering through intense burnout, while my self-awareness suffered. Then bam! 🥊The summer session knocked me off my pedestal and left me feeling embarrassed like Mike Tyson facing Jake Paul. The intensity of the summer coursework and commitments left me dazed and confused.
Spinning around in circles to complete the fellowship duties, I found myself stuck in old patterns - juggling multiple side hustles, going out often, neglecting sleep and fitness, and with barely a moment to reflect or boast about my accomplishments on Substack (I still made time for LinkedIn flexing😂🦾). All the lessons I’d learned last year were difficult to apply😅
Fast forward.
I live in the Twin Cities now for the residency placement component of my fellowship and I’m back in the reflective, present minded, and future prepared state that I ended last year with. But not without a major lesson learned.
Here is the lesson I’m taking into 2025
Mind my own business - I’m genuinely friendly, caring and compassionate, and want the best for everyone in my life: Huge shoutout to my parental units for instilling those solid values 😤👏🏿However, I don’t need to be interacting with or even concerned with the minutiae of everything going on. I learned this a bit while off the ‘gram and then had to face it even more in my many relationships. I thrive best when I’m minding my own business personally and professionally. When I can create mindful and intentional interactions with myself, my goals, my family and friends, colleagues, other people, media, and more.
I will definitely stay genuine and put out love into the world with no expectation while continuously learning about systems and how to partner for greater impact, joy, and healing. But I'll also be protective of my own energy, time, money, and overall wellbeing.
If you look closely I’m well-rested, “unbothered. moisturized. happy. in my lane. focused. flourishing.” - Even my beard is looking fuller🧔🏿♂️
Connection is a superpower for me, but this year it felt like a weakness. I would often engage at a disservice to my physical fitness goals, my rest, my personal reflection time, the long term success of relationships, my eating, drinking, and spending habits, and this Substack…a whole year with no posts is wild 🤦🏿♂️
Gotta give a huge shoutout to NUF for providing me with the space and team of amazing homies, mentors, liaisons, coaches, professors, and more to help me mind my own business. Grateful for the constant reminder that the hard work of investing in economic opportunity and equity requires empathetic leaders who are attuned to themselves emotionally, socially, physically, intellectually, creatively, and financially.
I worked on a lot of things this year, took my share of Ls, and celebrated every single win (this has never been a problem 😂). Look forward to another year of growth!
Me in 2024
That's more than enough reflection...let's forecast some goals for 2025
SHRED- my physical fitness is a driver of my physical and emotional health. I plan to keep up my intense workout regimen and daily walks! Also stretch metaphorically and physically.
REST!!!
Be intentional - Movement, words, time, and money. Navigate the balance of connection, disconnection, reconnection, and dropping completely.
Conscious Consumption - Slow foods. Moderation. Drink less. By the way, I’ll be at CiderCon in Chicago in February.
Graduate from Georgetown with a Masters in Policy Management and complete all National Urban Fellows responsibilities.
Secure a high impact workforce and economic development role in the social impact sector.
Keep up the excellent work! - continue all that growth work and find joy in all these experiences!
RELAX! - Sit down somewhere and continue to laugh and not get worked up by all the nonsense.
SHOUTOUT:
Gratitude galore for y’all! Hope y’all have a divine 2025! Happy New Year!
It’s a new year! I’ll definitely be writing more in 2025. Stay tuned!