the encouragement lounge: Surround yourself with good people

Friday, June 3, 2011

Surround yourself with good people

Maybe this can go without saying, tell me what you think.... I thought I would write today to encourage you to be intentional about building and holding onto relationships with good people. Sometimes really good people cross our paths, as classmates, teachers, or colleagues and then either they move on or we do (or both) and the relationship falls away.

I'm incredibly fortunate to have a circle of amazing people -- friends who are true blessings, former classmates and colleagues who have become close friends, teachers and mentors who continue to inspire and teach me (and some have even become collaborators!). Keeping these relationships going takes some effort -- keep in touch with those classmates and colleagues who you know bring good energy to your life, keep former mentors and teachers posted on your journey. Give back to these folks as well -- send articles you think would interest them, send notes of encouragement, and so on.

Hold on to these relationships -- they help us flourish!

Cheering you on in your work,

Harriet

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Working adult students, on my mind...

I hope this blog will be helpful to friends and others involved in a variety of endeavors. However, I created the blog with students in mind and continue to develop it with that specific group as my focus.

I believe that with the increase in evening, weekend, and low-residency programs, students are working more and more in isolation. If we were all full-time students on campus, we would have the informal support that comes with being able to go down the hall and talk with a colleague, etc. But instead, we are working late nights and weekends at home in front of the laptop.

With that in mind, I hope the encouragement lounge provides brief moments of respite and energizing connection. This does not at all replace valuable face-to-face contact. Many aspects of the academic journey can only be addressed via in-depth conversations with colleagues and teachers. And I would always rather sit down and talk with someone than to communicate online. Nonetheless, my aim is to give you one more channel for quick hits of support.