December
Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions.
Albert Einstein
This Thanksgiving season I had some time to pause and think about all the things for which I am grateful. It has taken me a while but I have 2 dogs, countless niblings, and family. I have a nice home, stable job with good benefits, meaningful work through Platform, community of women with whom I work, and physical and mental health. Could I earn more money, have more time for outdoor activities, more affectionate mother, more and more? Of course, we could. Humans can imagine more, fortunately and unfortunately. Fortunately, because we can imagine great visions of endless possibilities and unfortunately because we are rarely content, well some of us.
As I sit in all my privileges, for some reason, I notice more acutely the problems in our society. I see the tents of the homeless in every corner of open space, their open hands on the intersection of major streets; I feel the effects of climate change as I walk in my shorts under the warm sun in the month of November in the state of Colorado; I hear stories of injustices where the guilty are declared not guilty or the not guilty are declared guilty; and of course, I am aware of the endless shootings killing innocent lives here in the city of Aurora where I live. How to make sense of all the news.
I have days in which I think my time can be better spent outdoors rather than behind the computer where I spend hours writing about leadership. I could be in the mountains hiking with my dogs or exploring new parks. Who cares about the homeless, the environment, the injustice served in our courts, and pointless deaths? What can I, this singular being, do that can make any impact on these issues? Yes, I wonder because I do feel a wave of hopelessness sometimes. Since I am not directly impacted by these issues except for maybe the climate change, why should I care?! No one else seems to care.
Yet I know in my heart, there are hundreds, if not thousands, perhaps millions of people out there who want to transform their communities but do not know how or where to even begin. This is where my vision of women leaders serving as platforms for the marginalized creeps in and moves me to write more, work more, and connect more. It’s a human disease, the ability to imagine the possibilities.
With this vision in mind, I have finished the draft of the adult workbook and guidebook. I will be fine-tuning the training programs and turning my attention to the youth versions. All will be finished by the end of December. I have met with the main players and am preparing for the January marketing. Yes, we will move forward and we will be impacting 1 person at a time so that we can take one step closer to the vision. It may take years, perhaps decades, maybe centuries, but we will hopefully be closer to a more equitable society which cherishes our beautiful earth. Let it be so.
Samantha Joo, Founder and CEO
November 30, 2021