Optimism When the Well Runs Dry
Recharging and reflecting while on vacation
We did it.
We survived the hell that was 2025. Federal funding guts, layoffs, vital social services paused, and the invasion of our cities by masked agents in search of our immigrant grandmothers.
If you feel emotionally winded and reluctant to exhale sigh in relief, you’re not alone.
We’re not built to withstand this much suffering, this much overwhelm.
And yet, we’re still here. Many of us in roles that call us to lock in yet again, pour into others even more than we already have, and offer our very best.
This is a call for leaders who still believe in the worthiness of our communities and the unlocked brilliance of those whose potential is still untapped.
For leaders who don’t make excuses for status quo behaviors, policies, demographics, and organizational charts.
As we reset for the road ahead, let’s remember to set intentional moments to reset:
✅ Schedule time away before you need it.
Use your paid time off--vacation days, sick days, and personal days.
Challenge yourself to use it all; it’s yours, after all.
✅ Call in accomplices to share the load before it becomes too heavy.
I know it’s not easy but stop overextending for fear that others can’t do the task to your standard.
Train them, if that’s what is needed. It will be worth it in the long run.
✅ Perhaps the most challenging: Give yourself space to imagine different possibilities for yourself that honor your talents beyond constantly leading through service.
Just because you’re skilled in an area, and have likely devoted years of professional experience to it, doesn’t mean that it’s your sole calling.
I’m not telling you to quit your job, but offer yourself permission to imagine what else the future might hold for you.
Be bold in your imagination, don’t hold back.
Even better: Think about micro steps you can take to bring these talents into fruition.
The Bottom Line
You don’t have to have all the answers. It’s enough that you’re still here doing your best, redefined.
