I started writing a blog post today on a positive note and got interrupted, therefore also contradicting myself partway through… But there are some resources for remote workers, schoolers, and job searchers including academic advice for those who need extra accommodations, so if any of that applies to you, take a look!
My original post started a little something like this:
It’s been a long week and there’s no way to avoid seeing anything I don’t want to see when it comes to the news or social media these days. So, instead of sharing anything that’s going on in the world around us, I’m going to talk about what’s going on with some of you.
You all have listened to me talk about it vaguely in terms of remote working or self-care, but I’ve never really gone into detail about what it’s taken to keep track of ourselves during these past few months. As I was updating my job status on LinkedIn this week, I realized how many people are all in different places in our lives— just starting new jobs or new school years, job searching, continuing work, adjusting between jobs, or trying to manage schooling the kids from home— there’s a lot happening.
And we need to know how to keep up, right?
So for my job searchers, these are for you courtesy of Forbes and Microsoft. My remote workers, take a look here, here and here. And finally for my remote study buddies including those who need extra accommodations these ones are yours from US News and College Info Geek. Take a look at some of these resources on what it takes to both be successful, but also how to avoid burnout and what to do in order to take a step back when you want to.
This, however, is when I got interrupted. Because here’s the thing… as we work and study and continue doing whatever we’ve been doing to get through the lives that we’re living, we have to remember that we’re probably doing it all for a reason. Maybe you’re doing it for the people you care about, to see them grow and change, or to grow and change right beside them. Maybe you’re doing it because you’ve got a passion for something in this world, whether that has to do with education, a hobby, or something else. And maybe there’s another reason driving you, I can’t tell you. Only you know what drives you.
But if you’re going to keep going after it, you have to take care of yourself to see those reasons or those passions through. My reminder for this today came from the entertainment industry. Even though it can sometimes perpetuate some harmful stigmas around what kind of habits or people we glorify, it can also uplift both positive messages or people.
If you haven’t heard already, Chadwick Boseman passed away today. In a statement released today on his Instagram page, it was confirmed that not only did he push through Stage 3 colon cancer as it progressed to stage 4 over the last four years, but he brought us countless movies that he both produced and starred in while going through treatment.
Within the statement, we are told that “it was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther.” As just one of the bodies of work he had a major part in over the past four years, Black Panther was a big turning point for not only Black superheroes, but also in many ways a reclamation of blackness through its stars and content. Beyond the Black community, the movie was a build-up for the Avengers series and it also showcased some dynamic and incredibly powerful characters, the women especially.
In the midst of it all, it’s important to first acknowledge that just about none of us had any idea what was going on behind the scenes because we weren’t supposed to know. I’m not glorifying working through sickness, that’s not the focus of this–if he knew his limits and his priorities, no one else has a right to judge those choices– I want to point you in another direction. Because right now, I’m telling you about the things that Boseman did, not the things he planned to do. All because of a passion, an honor, or a love to do them when it came to his work, his family, and his own life.
There’s a balance in there and it’s incredibly important to figure out what that balance looks like to you.
Because that is the second thing we need to acknowledge. As much as I can remind all of you wonderful readers to take care of yourselves and check in on your loved ones every week, there’s no telling if you actually do it. I can’t make you.
I don’t know what you’ve got in your plans for tomorrow, next year, or even a decade from now. And I don’t know whether or not those plans will actually get fulfilled. But if you’ve got plans, start making them happen. And if you’ve got no plans, well, make some.
Because this year has been hard, and I can tell you exactly where I was or who told me when I heard about Kobe. I wasn’t expecting that, and I wasn’t expecting this either; these are only two examples of far too many losses that people have gone through this year. We aren’t exactly promised a whole lot in our lives and unfortunately, 2020 hasn’t been the kindest to many of you. I can’t tell you what the future brings, and I am hopeful that something good is coming for us, but I am also hopeful that we can realize sometimes the good has to be whatever we make happen for ourselves.
Find a purpose and a reason to keep going, one that can grow as you do. And also, understand that for all the people in the world, you really never know what’s going on for them just as no one knew that as Chadwick Boseman was seen looking a bit rough, there were reasons for it. So if you can, either spread a little kindness or just don’t spread anything at all.
With that, tomorrow is another 2020 weekend in all of its unpredictable glory. I hope you do something intentionally for yourselves and remember to take some time if you need it to slow down a bit. The world has lost Wakanda’s King today and Howard lost an alum who was proud to wear the name, for that we’re allowed to acknowledge the loss. May he Rest in Power. Sit with it if you need to and when you’re ready, keep on keeping on. Here’s to Friday; have a good weekend.
kwilliamsbooks 