It Takes a Village

Happy Friday! This week has felt like one of the longest ever. I have been dealing with some major fatigue and lupus-y symptoms and it feels like I've been treading water for days. I've slept more in the last few days than I have in months, and I realize that all of the annoying lupus things that went away with my old treatment are starting to come back. I've gotten to the point where I can't drive long distances for fear of falling asleep at the wheel. Blah.



With me, there is always a bright side. The good news is that I've accomplished a lot of my goals, and will hopefully have some new insights from my medical team today. I'm also getting in some extra reading/rest time by taking the commuter bus which leaves me right across the street from OT, so I can get where I need to go without sacrificing my safety.

Shifting gears entirely: Today's #NaBloPoMo prompt is an interesting one for me: Would you rather start something on your own or as a member of a team?

I've spent the last decade professionally singing the virtues of building communities and the value of teamwork in just about every aspect of life. I feel strongly that a group of people committed to a cause is a force to be reckoned with and generally tends to have better and more long lasting results.

However, at the same time the older I get the more I see how one would want/need to start something on their own. I get that for some people it is more rewarding to be able to say "I did this on my own."

I've been thinking about this post all week and going back and forth in my answer, and I think I end up where my gut has been for years. There is so much to learn from being part of a team - cooperation, communication, compromise, patience, how to explain your point of view to others, the collective power of shared ideas, etc. Trust me, I could talk for hours about the idea of teams.

When it comes to health and fitness, I believe while it can seem like ultimately a solo sport it still takes a village. In Yoga, no one on your team can do an asana for you, nor can they walk you through the other limbs of the yogic path. No one can lift a new PR for you, nor can they finish the marathon in your shoes. However, I believe it takes a village to get to your "final product." Whether it's your coaches, instructors , family and friends cheering you on - everyone needs their village. During a marathon, thousands of volunteers come out to hand out water, to set up porta-potties, to cheer people on. Even if you as an individual runner don't know them, they are part of your village for the day and they contribute to your success.

It's all a process, and I think that even as we engage in our solo activities, we should take the time to figure out who is part of the team that makes the magic happen and thank them for being there :)



Who is part of your village?






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