Lean In and Hurricane Dorian
I’m going to
get right to the point. If your place of work has Lean In circles, you need to
join, if they don’t you need to get one started. Go to Leanin.org and find out
how you can connect to achieve your ambitions and work to create an equal
world.
Now, I’ll
explain. A few weeks ago, I had the amazing opportunity to speak to and meet
with Lean In leaders from around the world. I was moved by their brilliance, dedication
and compassion. What moved me most, was their ability to share their whole
selves. These were not women just looking for ways to find mentors, sponsors and
a promotion. They brought their whole selves to their groups so that their
whole self could be better for work and life.
The Lean In
folks shared the success of work, family and their communities. They were busy
active leaders who felt engaged in every aspect of life, but they weren’t just trying to do more, they wanted to be more for themselves and the
people they love.
So now, let
me tell you the real reason I got up this morning to write. I live just outside
of Savannah, Georgia, right on the coast. Late Sunday evening, we got the word
that there would be a mandatory hurricane evacuation because Dorian would be
heading our way.
I had been
preparing for the eventuality but I had also been praying that Dorian would
turn around and go back out to sea. Still, I believe that we should not just
pray, but also act. I have a huge family and family connections. We have dogs
and babies, elders and disabilities, so when the governor said “Get ta getting,”
we got ta packing.
I posted
that we were under evacuation and requested prayer. I got loads of response,
but from my new Lean In sisters, I got the essence of what that connection is
about.
Immediately
after I posted, my messenger began to ring. New Lean In connections from around
the world shared inspiration and information. They told me what to do, pack and
prepare. We’d evacuated previously for Matthew and Irma, so I knew how to leave
but I didn’t really know how to prepare for the possibility of having nothing
to come back to.
I got a message
from a Lean In sister who had to be boat lifted from a hurricane. She knew what
I would need if everything was destroyed. This was much more than the “grab
your important papers,” this was information that I really could use. I heard
from other Lean In sisters with information for now and for later. All of them
said that I should not hesitate to reach out for assistance whenever I needed
it.
What I have
come to see more clearly is that Lean In is a network of shared information,
stories and experiences. People who have been through what I am going through
are on the ready to help me through it. I have lived this way on a much smaller
level, but here it was being given back to me large scale.
Hurricane Dorian
is moving slower than molasses and we have no idea what may happen, but I know
this; I am not alone. I am connected to the world through people who are ready
to share what they have learned. We all need to Lean in.
Be You, Be Well, Lean In
Bertice Berry, PhD
