Shake it off and step up

I​ ​consider​ ​it​ ​to​ ​be​ ​an​ ​enormous​ ​privilege​ ​and​ ​honour​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​director​ ​at​ ​Kingfisher​ ​Treasure Seekers.​ ​I​ ​am​ ​constantly​ ​deeply​ ​moved​ ​and​ ​personally​ ​challenged​ ​by​ ​the​ ​many​ ​people​ ​in​ ​our​ ​’family’ ​who​ ​despite​ ​having​ ​few​ ​of​ ​the​ ​advantages​ ​many​ ​of​ ​us​ ​would​ ​take​ ​for​ ​granted,​ ​are nevertheless,​ ​striving​ ​to​ ​be​ ​the​ ​​ ​best​ ​version​ ​of​ ​themselves.​ ​I​ ​am​ ​honestly​ ​amazed​ ​and​ ​deeply humbled​ ​by​ ​the​ ​awards​ ​(​​including​ ​the​ ​Queen’s​ ​award)​ ​our​ ​social​ ​enterprise​ ​has​ ​won.​ ​I​ ​am absolutely​ ​certain​ ​that​ ​I​ ​am​ ​exactly​ ​where​ ​I​ ​am​ ​’meant​’​ ​to​ ​be​ ​and​ ​have​ ​the​ ​deep​ ​sense​ ​of fulfilment​ ​that​ ​comes​ ​with​ ​living​ ​life​ ​with​ ​such​ ​a​ ​purpose.

​That​ ​all​ ​said,​ ​leadership​ ​in​ ​any​ ​capacity,​ ​can​ ​be​ ​tough.​ ​​ ​It​ ​can​ ​feel​ ​like​ ​being​ ​on​ ​a​ ​roller​ ​coaster ride.​ ​We​ ​can​ ​experience​ ​real​ ​highs,​ ​lows​ ​and​ ​times​ ​when​ ​we​ ​are​ ​completely​ ​thrown​ ​by​ ​an unexpected​ ​twist​ ​and​ ​turn​ ​of​ ​events.​ ​​ ​This​ ​can​ ​leave​ ​us​ ​feeling​ ​disorientated​ ​and​ ​unsure​ ​as​ ​to how​ ​we​ ​are​ ​going​ ​to​ ​move​ ​forward​ ​from​ ​the​ ​place​ ​in​ ​which​ ​we​ ​now​ ​find​ ​ourselves.​ ​This​ ​is certainly​ ​something​ ​I​ ​have​ ​experienced​ ​in​ ​my​ ​personal​ ​life​ ​and​ ​in​ ​helping​ ​to​ ​set​ ​up​ ​and​ ​move forward​ ​the​ ​work​ ​of​ ​Kingfisher​ ​Treasure​ ​Seekers.

A​ ​short​ ​while​ ​ago​ ​I​ ​was​ ​thinking​ ​about​ ​a​ ​particularly​ ​difficult​ ​challenge​ ​and​ ​unexpected​ ​situation I​ ​was​ ​facing​ ​in​ ​my​ ​leadership​ ​role,​ ​when​ ​I​ ​heard​ ​a​ ​story​ ​that​ ​really​ ​helped​ ​me​ ​regain​ ​my​ ​focus and​ ​resolve.

The​ ​story​ ​was​ ​a​ ​about​ ​a​ ​grandpa​ ​donkey​ ​(stay​ ​with​ ​me!)​ ​talking​ ​with​ ​his​ ​grandson​ ​donkey. Grandpa​ ​donkey​ ​was​ ​giving​ ​his​ ​grandson​ ​some​ ​advice​ ​as​ ​to​ ​how​ ​to​ ​overcome​ ​setbacks​ ​in​ ​life. Times​ ​when​ ​life​ ​seems​ ​bleak​ ​and​ ​the​ ​challenges​ ​insurmountable.​ ​In​ ​those​ ​times,​ ​Grandpa donkey​ ​said,​ ​’All​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​remember​ ​is​ ​to​ ​shake​ ​it​ ​off​ ​and​ ​step​ ​up.’ ​His​ ​grandson​ ​was confused​ ​and​ ​asked​ ​him​ ​to​ ​explain​ ​what​ ​he​ ​meant.​ ​’Well,’ said​ ​grandpa​ ​donkey,​ ​’​I​ ​once​ ​knew​ ​a very​ ​old​ ​donkey​ ​friend​ ​who​ ​had​ ​fallen​ ​down​ ​a​ ​misused​ ​well.​ ​As​ ​my​ ​friend​ ​looked​ ​around​ ​him,​ ​he couldn’t​ ​see​ ​any​ ​way​ ​out.​ ​It​ ​was​ ​cold​ ​and​ ​dark​ ​and​ ​he​ ​was​ ​scared​ ​and​ ​frightened.​ ​Then​ ​he heard​ ​the​ ​voices​ ​of​ ​two​ ​men​ ​standing​ ​at​ ​the​ ​top​ ​of​ ​the​ ​well.​ ​The​ ​men​ ​were​ ​looking​ ​down​ ​the​ ​well and​ ​saw​ ​the​ ​donkey​ ​at​ ​the​ ​bottom.​ ​My​ ​friend​ ​was​ ​hopeful​ ​the​ ​men​ ​would​ ​rescue​ ​him.​ ​​ ​All​ ​hope was​ ​lost​ ​though​ ​and​ ​he​ ​was​ ​horrified​ ​when​ ​he​ ​heard​ ​them​ ​say,​ ​’​I​ ​don’t​ ​think​ ​there’s​ ​anyway​ ​we can​ ​get​ ​down​ ​there​ ​and​ ​the​ ​donkey​ ​seems​ ​very​ ​old,​ ​let’s​ ​just​ ​fill​ ​in​ ​the​ ​well.’​ ​With​ ​that,​ ​grandpa donkey​ ​said,​ ​’the​ ​men​ ​began​ ​to​ ​shovel​ ​earth​ ​on​ ​top​ ​of​ ​my​ ​friend​ ​and​ ​he​ ​was​ ​terrified​ ​he​ ​was going​ ​to​ ​be​ ​buried​ ​alive’.​ ​Then,​ ​grandpa​ ​donkey​ ​continued,​ ​’​the​ ​thought​ ​occurred​ ​to​ ​him,​ ​’If​ ​I shake​ ​off​ ​this​ ​dirt​ ​it​ ​will​ ​fall​ ​to​ ​the​ ​ground​ ​and​ ​then​ ​I​ ​can​ ​step​ ​up​ ​my​ ​feet​ ​and​ ​trample​ ​it​ ​in beneath​ ​them.’​ ​​ ​And​ ​this​ ​is​ ​what​ ​he​ ​did.​ ​With​ ​each​ ​shovel​ ​of​ ​dirt​ ​my​ ​friend​ ​shook​ ​it​ ​off,​ ​stepped up,​ ​lifted​ ​his​ ​legs,and​ ​trampled​ ​the​ ​dirt​ ​beneath​ ​him.​ ​After​ ​each​ ​shovel​ ​of​ ​earth​ ​was​ ​trampled​ ​in the​ ​ground​ ​beneath​ ​my​ ​friend,​ ​the​ ​ground​ ​beneath​ ​him​ ​became​ ​higher​ ​and​ ​higher​ ​until eventually​ ​he​ ​could​ ​feel​ ​the​ ​sun​ ​on​ ​his​ ​face​ ​as​ ​he​ ​approached​ ​the​ ​surface.​ ​Sometimes​ ​in​ ​life,’ grandpa​ ​donkey​ ​said,​ ​‘all​ ​we​ ​can​ ​do​ ​is​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​shaking​ ​it​ ​off​ ​and​ ​stepping​ ​up​ ​over​ ​and​ ​over again​ ​until​ ​finally​ ​we​ ​begin​ ​to​ ​feel​ ​the​ ​sun​ ​on​ ​face​ ​again.’

As​ ​I​ ​listened​ ​to​ ​this​ ​story,​ ​I​ ​realised​ ​how​ ​true​ ​this​ ​often​ ​is​ ​in​ ​life​ ​and​ ​perhaps​ ​especially​ ​in leadership.​ ​​​Life​ ​takes​ ​unexpected​ ​twists,​ ​turns​ ​and​ ​setbacks​ ​and​ ​before​ ​we​ ​know​ ​it​ ​we​ ​find ourselves​ ​feeling​ ​like​ ​we​ ​are​ ​in​ ​a​ ​pit​ ​with​ ​any​ ​way​ ​out​ ​seemingly​ ​beyond​ ​us.

As​ ​I​ ​reflect​ ​on​ ​the​ ​moments​ ​’in​ ​the​ ​sun’,​ ​the​ ​victories,we​ ​have​ ​experienced​ ​in​ ​the​ ​life​ ​of Kingfisher​ ​Treasure​ ​Seekers,​ ​it​ ​has​ ​always​ ​come​ ​as​ ​a​ ​result​ ​of​ ​a​ ​great​ ​deal​ ​of​ ​shaking​ ​off​ ​and stepping​ ​up.​ ​Shaking​ ​off​ ​the​ ​disappointments​ ​of​ ​a​ ​funding​ ​application​ ​being​ ​turned​ ​down, people​ ​not​ ​being​ ​as​ ​committed​ ​as​ ​they​ ​promised,​ ​missing​ ​deadlines,​ ​being​ ​misunderstood, being​ ​criticised.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​not​ ​me​ ​having​ ​a​ ​’pity​ ​party’;​ ​far​ ​from​ ​it.​ ​​ ​I​ ​have​ ​come​ ​to​ ​realise​ ​as​ ​I​ ​look back​ ​it’s​ ​been​ ​through​ ​the​ ​times​ ​when​ ​I​ ​have​ ​had​ ​to​ ​step​ ​up,​ ​exhausting​ ​though​ ​it​ ​can​ ​be,​ ​that this​ ​is​ ​where​ ​I’ve​ ​grown​ ​the​ ​most.

It​ ​seems​ ​​shaking​ ​off​ ​and​ ​stepping​ ​up​ ​​was​ ​wise​ ​advice​ ​indeed​ ​from​ ​Grandpa​ ​donkey.​ ​After​ ​all, isn’t​ ​this​ ​what​ ​builds​ ​emotional​ ​resilience.?​ ​I​ ​have​ ​come​ ​to​ ​see​ ​that​ ​emotional​ ​resilience​ ​in leadership​ ​and​ ​indeed​ ​in​ ​life​ ​in​ ​general,​ ​is​ ​a​ ​vital​ ​ingredient​ ​in​ ​removing​ ​every​ ​obstacle​ ​if​ ​our dreams​ ​are​ ​to​ ​become​ ​reality.

That​ ​all​ ​said,​ ​a​ ​’pit​ ​free​ ​zone’ ​for​ ​a​ ​while​ ​is​ ​what​ ​I​ ​am​ ​most​ ​hoping​ ​for!

Jan Burn

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