That mountain you've been carrying
That mountain you've been carrying...
…you were only supposed to climb it.
For me, every year teaching Ag was like climbing a mountain.
No matter how experienced I got or how prepared I was...by October the climb was getting steep.
By spring, I thought I would get to relax on the downhill side…
But instead I felt like I was picking my way through a boulder field of expectations and criticisms (both external and self inflicted).
Recently (especially since that Year-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named), I feel that it has gotten worse.
Now I see so many Ag teachers not just struggling to climb that mountain…
But trying to carry it.
And many of y’all are starting to break under the load.
This is your permission to set it down.
Seriously.
Allow me to offer a gentle reminder that you can not be all things to all people.
And there are some people…
…that will never be satisfied. No matter how hard you try.
Oftentimes it is figuring out what you can do.
Sometimes that’s focusing on just one area of the three-circle model and excelling at it…
…or deciding to no longer compare yourself (or your chapter) to others
…or choosing what work/life balance looks like for you.
Whatever it is, I hope you will remember that some mountains are worth climbing…
…but just climb it. Please don’t try to carry it.
Hang in there. Summer is coming.
Alicia Tomlinson, owner, creator and trying to enjoy the climb
P.S. Here’s another my favorite adages:
“If you try to please everyone you'll please no one.”
