We Can't Do This Alone

(Photo shared by Yasin Hassan)

We all have ideas. Most of us have some really great ideas. I am constantly running through scenarios and plans in my head and I would be foolish to think that this wasn't the norm for most people. Recently, I have been reflecting upon why collaboration is so important. Important for both adults and students.

What happens when we are vulnerable enough to share our ideas with another person, or even scarier, a group of people? What happens for you during this collaborative process of laying all these messy, unfinished, half ideas out for others to view and mold? For me, the emotions range from frustration to enlightenment. There is a delicate balance of flushing out ideas and protecting things that I have grown inside my soul. This process is both exhilarating and infuriating.

While I have an ego that tells me to protect ownership of ideas and plans, I know I am only one voice. My thinking is but a small fraction of what is amazing in this world. When paired with the magnitude of thinkers and dreamers around me, that is when the magic happens. This process can be hard for me because I am a know-it-all. I want to have greatest thoughts and be the biggest thinker. The truth is that I would never be where I am or have accomplished what I have without the collaborative power of those brilliant minds that surround me everyday.

I am reminded by my colleagues, my friends, and my husband that I am better when I open myself up to critique and new ideas. This is scary. This requires vulnerability. This demands humility. This is was is beautiful about being part of a community.

As the new year rolls out in front of me, I am reminded that not only must a share openly, but I must also create safe spacing for vulnerability. These spaces must pillow others in the care necessary to be free with their mind and feelings. We must value one another, respect the craziness of big visions, and be willing to ask for clarity. Maybe most importantly, we must remember to thank those that push our thinking and dream alongside us.

Collaboration is built on a foundation of trust. If we can get to this point, anything is possible.