This week, I'm working with my team to define our North Star. Having a North Star as a leader is akin to possessing a compass that points you in the right direction.
However, the challenge with pursuing the North Star is that it may be veiled by clouds in the night sky. And so, it goes in life. Our own personal North Star can become obscured by challenges in both our personal and professional lives.
Recently, I retreated to the mountains with my camera, backpack, and dog, seeking solitude. While capturing the Rocky Mountain vistas, I contemplated the life journeys we undertake and the significance of a North Star for all of us.
I recognized that many of us seldom contemplate what drives us, what steers us, and our purpose on this planet.
Our lives are consumed by our jobs, families, and the fear of failure, leaving little room to ponder our guiding principles.
The mountains reminded me that our existence is not merely about survival; it's about flourishing in love and life, guided by our internal North Star.
As a leader, my passion lies not in instructing people on the technicalities of their roles—they are the subject matter experts—but in teaching them to align their experience with their North Star, providing direction in both work and life for themselves and on behalf of others.
Without a North Star, life can feel monotonous, with weeks blending indistinguishably into one another. But, guided by your authentic North Star, you navigate life and work with intention, much like the purposeful flow of water in rivers, lakes, and streams.
Concluding my mountain sojourn, I jotted down several questions to reflect upon in the coming weeks as I assist my team and myself in pursuing our North Star:
What are my dreams for myself, my family, and others?
What's missing from my bucket list?
What makes my work life, my home life, and my love life truly happy?
What would I regret doing, or who would I regret not loving?
Finding your North Star is not hard or even complicated. It just requires that we care enough about our own lives to ask ourselves why we are here on the planet, and not get caught up or spend time ruminating on what we have or don't have.
The biggest question in life will always only be, "What's my North Star?"
Attention Bias
What is attention bias? Attention bias is our tendency to prioritize certain types of stimuli/information over others. At any given moment, an individual's senses can perceive countless stimuli in our immediate surroundings. Threat-related attention bias refers to the tendency to prioritize the processing of threats over benign or neutral stimuli. Is it no wonder we have biases related to race, ethnicity, disability, and more?
Each of us individually generates more information than ever before in human history. We take in almost 90,000 pieces of information daily, yet our brains can only filter in about 10 percent of that information. The rest, well is stored in our subconscious minds and often when we perceive a threat we act upon it.
How do you perceive the world around you and how can you understand your attention bias?
The WEBB Advisory Group Presents
The WEBB Center For Social Impact was developed and designed from more than 50 years of lived experience as a Black Woman in America.
Focusing on domestic policy specifically, our institute provides a global worldview perspective for black and brown women from the diaspora living in America today.
Using research data, lived experiences, and stories of impact, policymakers and leaders can understand the social impacts various policies have on black and brown children and women, today and tomorrow.
In response to various incidents in our country's recent history, history mustn't repeat itself. Therefore, the WEBB Center For Social Impact strives to provide voter information, information on issues for policymakers, information for community activists, and information for anyone who seeks to understand the social impacts of public policy on individuals and communities.
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Prayer for the Week
Dear God,
As we head into this beautiful week, guide us and let us surrender our plans to your purpose. May Your will be our compass, our North Star, and Your wisdom, our guide.
Amen.
"Inspiring Humans...Changing Communities."
"And So It Goes..." is a weekly blog post. We welcome the voices of all people. Are you interested in writing for us? Let us know.
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