Looking back

2020 came and went and we survived! Yet “survival” is not a word I want to keep on my “go to” word list.

When I started Thrive.Zimeducation in August 2019, I had no idea that there was a big sister out there, Thrive Global, who had the same vision but on on much larger, more seasons under their belt level. What I had been feeling personally but not uniquely as a Zimbabwean educator coincided unbeknowingly with Thrive Global’s vision to “end the collective delusion that burnout is the price we have to pay for success.” Thrive Global focuses on ending burnout and building individual resilience using science backed research and providing tools to help build resilience and productivity.
As we journey together to the ultimate goal of saying whole heartedly, ” I teach, I thrive”, ( I ….., I thrive); know that we are in good company and on the cutting edge of best practice.

‘The quietest morning of the year.
Humanity lying asleep, recovering from a night of merriment or misery,
Dreaming of the past and possible futures.
Finally submitting to the forces of nature and allowing rest.
Excited or maybe afraid for the new year to come.
Yet the outgoing tide of 2019
And the incoming of 2020
has cleared the beach
giving us a new canvas
No feet, small or great, wise or foolish have ever walked this way before.
We are the first.
What lead will we give?
What footsteps will we impress in untouched sand?
When you look back after 366 days of walking,
What do you want to see imprinted in the sand behind you?’

I wrote this on New year’s day 2020 and now as I write and reflect on the outgoing tide of 2020, I ask myself the question posed, “When I look back after 366 days of walking, what do I see on the sand imprinted behind me?”

None of us could have ever anticipated all the greys, browns and dark, dreary colours on the 2020 palette. Many of us feel frazzled and rattled and unsure. How can we go forward into another new year when we are so acutely aware of how unpredictable life is. What can we do to still our minds to realign our hearts and souls? We can start by looking back and noticing the glimmers of light and the yellows, bright blues, pinks and purples that were present in 2020. I find my instagram account helps me to remember many of the bright spots I have forgotten. Most are simple, like sharing countless pots of tea with my family or taking more walks, but they are good things that can easily get overlooked and hidden behind the greys and browns of loss and unfulfilled expectations. Once we look back with gratitude, it is far easier to go forward, albeit, one step at a time

Here are some reminders of tips that we have spoken about at Thrive.zimeducation. Let’s use them to help us journey onwards, because after all, the journey is in fact the destination (Ralph Waldo Emmerson (Philosopher and poet 1803).

Reflect on the new year as a blank canvas. (Deliberately choose to look for yellows,blues, pinks and purples and make a point of celebrating them and giving them some attention – we call this joy spotting)
Control what you can by setting micro-step goals. ( Eg: your Health – drink more water, exercise – stretch once a day, study just a chapter more of your teaching subject or do some spiritual reflection, practice kindness and patience with yourself and others)
Include some time for creativity to refuel or restore your soul. (Choose one new recipe, start a new hobby, take a walk in nature, start that “for fun” project ; creativity is not frivolous time wasting, it is the difference between surviving and thriving)

As we journey on let us keep hope alive and never lose our joy in teaching or whatever other career we are in. Let’s embrace what is new and share the freedom with our colleagues. We can teach (or ….) and thrive together. We don’t have to survive, we can live our best version of the set we find ourselves on, here and now.