It’s often harder to lean in than it is to lean out.
I find that especially important to remember at this point in the school year. With the arrival of “ShOctober,” behaviors tend to tick up, patience seems to run thin, and everything, for some reason, just seems a little bit harder to do. The newness has worn off, but the needs haven’t eased up.
This is often when we’re tempted to pull back. To avoid the hard conversation. To stop greeting the student who never seems to respond. To assume the worst about a colleague instead of asking how they’re doing. Each choice seems small, and each is understandable when we’re tired. But, over time, those choices shape what it feels like to learn from and work alongside us.
Of course, the thought of leaning in can be exhausting, too. When we are tired being asked to give more can feel like being asked to give something we don’t have. But leaning in doesn’t always require more time or another “thing.” Sometimes, it means approaching an interaction we’re already going to have with a little more intention, taking a breath before responding, or simply continuing to make the right choice when others are not. Sometimes, it even means asking for help before our frustration becomes a problem for us and everyone else.
I think we can acknowledge that this season is hard and still choose how we show up in it. Notice that word, “choose.” We may not get to choose every circumstance, but we can always choose how we respond.
That choice to lean in won’t resolve every challenge this week, but it may help a student feel welcome, a teammate feel supported, or a difficult circumstance feel just a bit easier to get through.
I think that’s a choice worth making. Don’t you?
Where are you most tempted to pull back this week? What is one thing you can do to keep leaning in?
#ChooseToBeGreat
Angelo
