Now that this has been ‘published’ in the BOC newsletter I feel like I can share it here too. This is my way of letting you in on some of the recent musings that I don’t anticipate having time to type out this week. Sorry if I am selling my cabbage twice.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? The gravity of that question can be terrifying, and it’s a question that has always baffled me and to which I rarely have a good answer. At the risk of sounding aimless, I will admit that I am not much of a goal setter. I have never attached myself to a particular vision of what my future would look like, instead trying to live with integrity every day and be guided by my principles as I navigate my path.
Of course my life plan always included a few major goals (“I would like to go to college”, “I would like to not be homeless”, “I would like to stay in close contact with my family”), but like many people I find that the best things in my life are the results of incidents I could never have planned. Response to the world around me, rather than driving initiative, is what led me to Americorps, to BOC, to the Board of Directors, to most of this life which in retrospect seems inevitable. It can be difficult, though, not to feel shiftless for not having a plan in place for the rest of my life.
Planning – or not – for the future can be a tough balancing act, and its one that BOC is going to struggle with as we continue to grow and move into our post-fledgling stage. How do we maintain direction while also being open to serendipity? How do we keep from being so locked into goals (which doubtless need to be set) that we can’t respond to our environment and to each other? I have great trust in the membership of BOC that we will move forward guided by a mission of lifting up our colleagues and by the values which brought us all together. If any group can meet this challenge, it’s us.
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