Photo by Thomas Hawk
Over the long holiday, I gave myself the gift of being present in each moment I had to spend with family, friends, and my new boyfriend. So many wonderful things happened, and I’m SO glad I left work at the office until after the holiday, despite its desperate cries for attention. I turned 26 on December 31, and inspired 18 of my friends to donate over $600 to my two favorite nonprofits. I also moved into an awesome new apartment in Southwest DC near the waterfront, and recommitted to my personal mission statement for 2009. Life is so good.
Each day I was off work, I was reminded that leadership absolutely has everything to do with how you live your life, not just how you behave at your nonprofit job or your volunteer/board position. The only secret to leadership is that we keep aspiring to something bigger than ourselves, as authentically and courageously as we can. Which is why Malik Yusef spoke to me so much when I heard him last night on Kindred the Family Soul’s new album, The Arrival. Malik is a young Black poet speaking his truth. I really love this piece because for me, it sums up leadership for us young nonprofit professionals in such a succinct and inspiring way. Malik puts it simply and poetically: always be arriving.
Listen to Malik’s poem, “Always Be Arriving”, here.
Please receive this transmission. You can choose your own mission.
You have permission to allow yourself to follow your premonition.
And it will come to its fruition.
Go outside right now, pick a star and start wishing.
Then get in position. Summon it, and it’s on its way.
As sure as every child is born on its day. And every dog has his.
You gotta take life as its presented to you, as is.
Keep surviving and you will live. Keep on striving, and it will give.
So don’t give yourself a finger, give yourself a hand, and put all five in.
And always, always, always be arriving.
How will YOU arrive in 2009?
