Last Tuesday evening, I finalized a presentation on corporate coaching and rushed to an invitation-only event at the top of the Compuware building in downtown Detroit. I found myself in a fancy pencil-skirt, sampling delicious appetizers and listening to dynamic speakers discuss their motivations for living, working, playing, giving, and leading in the city of Detroit. I was at the Year 3 Challenge Detroit Kick-Off Celebration and I couldn’t help by wonder ‘wait…how did I get here?’
It was one of those moments that smack you in a face. Clearly, it was no accident that brought me to this program and Detroit in general. If I told myself four years ago what the next four years would bring, I would have thought I was crazy. One year of full-time volunteering at a Kansas City free health clinic, 2 years of graduate school in conjunction with a nonprofit fellowship with special needs children in Milwaukee, and then another year in another nonprofit fellowship while working at a mortgage company in Detroit…? How unfocused can one person be?
Sometimes when I consider all of my experiences, I worry that I will never truly find my place in this world. Perhaps my college guidance counselor was right and law school would have set me on a path of lucrative stability. But really, where’s the fun in that? Each of my experiences heightens my awareness of who I am in relation to the world around me.
Had I gone the safe route and went straight into graduate school, I never would have gained the perspective—not to mention the lasting relationships—that a year of full-time service provides. I now know what it means to live simply, without Internet or TV, and to rely on an (oftentimes unreliable) public transportation system. Those were the choices I made and, quite simply, the fact that I even had that choice is a sign of my own privilege. Since my year in Kansas City, I have been given the amazing fellowship opportunities I discussed above. Though my transition into the corporate realm at my Challenge Detroit host company has held its difficulties, the insight I am gaining makes it all wholly worthwhile.
At this point in life, I fully accept my privilege and try to be mindful of its existence. I have felt the guilt that often accompanies this awareness. However, in our first Challenge Detroit Leadership Friday we discussed how this guilt is futile. The most important thing I have come to realize in my brief (almost) 26 years on this earth is the power of gratitude. When I focus on gratitude, life’s little stressors and annoyances seem to melt away. I am no longer focused on unfair disparities, but instead am able to offer the best version of myself to all those I encounter. After all, look at everything I already have—a wonderful family, a great network of friends across the country, a stable job, a beautiful home with lovely roommates, a network of inspiring fellows, and a partner in life to be with me through good times and bad. What more could I need?
Sure, I will always have moments where I wonder how I got to this place in my life. I never dreamed that I might live in Detroit, work for a mortgage company, and have the opportunity to consult with a new nonprofit every 6 weeks. At the end of the day, I don’t understand why so many wonderful people and experiences have entered into my world. All I can do is express gratitude and keep my mind and heart open to the future.
Thank you for reading. Happy Holidays!