For the last two weeks, I’ve felt a lot of emotions about this week – our first official week back as school administrators for YES Prep and my first one as School Director. (Technically, I’ve been a School Director for a few weeks now, but this is the first one where setting the tone for the upcoming year.)
Out of all the emotions I’ve felt, fear was primarily the strongest one. My thoughts revolved around wanting to make sure everything was perfect. As the School Director, I’m responsible for 1100 students and 90 staff members. The stakes are high. I’ve already woken up in the middle of the night thinking of emails I need to send, projects I need to start, and meetings I need to hold. I want to do right by the people I serve and that’s where the fear came from. I was afraid of not being good enough, of making those mistakes, of letting down those I need to serve.
All that changed today once I saw my team. I was comforted by the fact that I was working alongside so many great individuals. It hit me – I’m not alone in this. We have a difficult mission in front of us and it can seem daunting at times. There’s nothing anybody can say to mitigate that reality. We have to meet it head on, but we don’t have to do it alone.
The fear I felt has transformed into excitement. It’s like Newton’s Law of Conservation of Energy – “Energy cannot be created nor destroyed; rather, it transforms from one form to another.” I was able to change this negative energy (fear) into positive energy (excitement) and it was all due to the realization that I have an amazing group of individuals by my side. Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s still plenty of fear in me. The difference is that it’s not as overpowering as it was before. I’m charged up and ready to start this year. I’m ready to get to work. Most importantly, I know I’m not alone in this fight.
