Pick One
I've been away the past few days and am writing this to you on 2 hours sleep, during a layover, after a red-eye...
Hopefully you are operating on more sleep!
I wanted to share this story and reflections, however sleepy they may be at the moment. 😴 Hopefully they will be coherent!
Pick One
"There are four signs placed around the room. Listen to the prompt and move to the area that matches your response."
These were simple enough directions, and yet they brought up a recurrent challenge of mine - narrowing down options. Choosing one among many.
It wasn't high stakes. It was only a representation of my experience in the moment...and yet...
My attempt to straddle two areas by standing in the middle was not sufficient. 😜
"Pick 1."
I reluctantly scooted closer to one.
Nothing terrible happened. 😉 The exercise continued. It led to great conversations and connections...
To provide context, during the past few days I've had the pleasure of attending a Step Into Your Moxie Certification training of Alexia Vernon's Vocal Empowerment System - a set of experiential and interactive activities for empowering people to speak up and to take action.
It's very aligned, an amazing group of participants, and my first solo travel in 5+ years...so, a wonderful experience that I look forward to integrating into my work.
And, this particular exercise reminded me of how much I dislike "picking one."
It's the same reason "What's your favorite?" is one of my least favorite questions.
I can't choose a single favorite song, or even a favorite music genre. Same for movies, television shows, restaurants, etc.
A store display captures my attention when the same shirt is stocked in many colors...
However, if I pick one (or even two) "favorites" and bring them home, they no longer have the same appeal.
The beauty is in the variety.
My trip also allowed me to enjoy the things I miss about bigger cities (or even big city airports, like the one I'm sitting in now waiting for my next flight...) diverse lives crossing through the same place for a moment in time. Hearing the different languages, witnessing the variety of ages, skin colors, genders, styles of dress, family constellations, ways of moving...
The beauty is in the variety.
You may wonder, as so many have asked, why I, in a very White body - focus on the work I do.
While I can give a very looooooooonnnnnnngggg answer of values combined with many experiences building upon each other since childhood, I have never (yet) succeeded in a concise answer.
One piece lies in this simple truth - For me, the beauty is in the variety. To have everyone the same - whether through color-blindness or exclusion - compromises the integrity of the whole of what I love.
My life has been so enriched by experiences of diversity - sharing time with and learning from people with different backgrounds, traditions, and cultures.
It's hard for me to answer "Why?" because I can't fathom, "Why not?"
What about you? What draws you to this process?
You matter. You can make a difference. I'm so thankful you're here.
