Two steps forward, one step back: In Community #40

Two steps forward. One step back.

Ever feel like that’s the way things are going? 

Last week, I wrote about what four more years can mean for us – and what we can achieve during that time. We can really make things happen when we come together.

Progress is always easier to see when you’re on the other side of it – and much less clear when you’re in the thick of it. Just like that, growth is easier to feel when the growing has come and gone. (They call them growing pains for a reason.)

Don’t worry though – I’m not about to feed you a line about how it’s the journey, not the destination, or how there’s joy in navigating challenges. The reality is that the pain of growth shouldn’t go on forever, and there are ways to manage it along the way.

It’s natural to feel like you’re moving forward slowly or that setbacks are hitting when you’ve taken strides toward your goals, both at work and at home – or even to move toward the work you want to do or the home you want to build.

I’ll admit I feel this at moments throughout the week, as I stack up wins and losses. 

The losses don’t deter me though – however I define them. They help me focus.

👉🏽 Reminder: It’s not what they promised us when we were getting started in our careers, but most paths aren’t linear. Twists and turns are the norm, while ups and downs make up the real pathway. We don’t hear about the turns or the downs enough.

👉🏽 What if we use them as a way to propel us upward? Like the windup to throwing a ball as fast and far as you can. Or like the dip down, with knees bent before you spring up to jump higher than you ever have before.

👉🏽 What if we use that energy to help us focus? It’s that energy that can make progress happen – and it’s a core part of what game changers use to achieve goals they never had before. It’s what’s visible in this week’s Need to Know, with inspiring leaders making moves forward and doing what’s never been done before.

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Need To Know

💥 Listen: Yasmin Zaher talks about “The Coin.” She shares her own story, as her novel shares a story of consumerism.

💥 Sasha Merci and Glorelys Mora launched Morir Soñando to center Dominican comedians. Their platform to elevate unheard voices was born out of necessity.

💥 Olympic sprinting gold medalist Allyson Felix is joining the IOC. She topped the list in an election by her peers.

Who are the authors, social impact leaders, entrepreneurs, executives, and more who should get featured for how they’re moving us forward together?

Are you one of them? Reach out with your ideas by replying to this directly. I mean it – who deserves to get the spotlight on them? Let me know.

In community,

Fahad