I hope this finds you well.
I recently have been experiencing being a host for this virus that has become so much a part of our lives. It’s been a somewhat tiring couple of weeks but with the benefit of some real time out.
January has been a very trying month in my life with a lot of dips, crying, feeling sad, feeling unwell and questioning of my choices. I am currently 3 months in to living in a new country, in a new home, in a new place of work, surrounded by new people and without my husband and beloved dog by my side with no real end date in sight for when they will be joining me. There are other things to add to that but it’s not the difficulty of these challenges that I want to focus on.
My line of work can be very solitary if I were that way inclined. Being the one who supports others can often mean neglecting your own care. Luckily, I am not that way inclined and I have spent the past 3-4 years cultivating relationships and support networks around me with colleagues and friends in my industry.
This is important for a number of reasons:
1. I feel fully comfortable picking up the phone to many people if I need some support professionally – this is crucial if you are self-employed
2. I know that there are a good bunch of people who are willing to be a sounding board for me personally and vice versa
3. Collaboration is one of my core values – I thrive in a healthy collaboration (check out the 2 podcasts I co-host)
4. I am learning so much from people who have been in this line of work longer or even less time than me
5. There are a number of people who have become so attuned to me that they reach out before I do, sensing when I need some support
My point here is that while I could see all of my colleagues as my competition, I’d much rather see them as friends and collaborators; supporters if you like. This is where the term Supportive Competition has come from.
I cannot compete with other people in my industry, nor do I aspire to. They are all unique in their own ways and each one of them possess their own sets of skills, life experience and knowledge.
The same goes for me.
How can I possibly compete with someone else’s life? I’d much rather connect with them, learn from them and be a support to each other in whatever way feels right, than to spend my life worrying about what they’re doing and how they’re doing it.
The result: I continue to build supportive connections and relationships with people all over the globe, some of whom have been crucial in helping me get through this January whether with a phone call, a card reading, a cup of tea, letting me cry to them, holding a space for me, being a sound board and simply by caring.
Who do you find yourself competing with rather than getting support from? Love and blessings to you xx
Nicole