You make decisions on a daily basis that radically influence the lives of those around you. Your choice in schedule, rations, workloads and emphasis rivals that of any corporate executive. You may not feel like your life is a well-oiled machine but, with all the balls you keep in the air, you're doing great. ...mixed metaphors and all.
When I was young, I believed that leaders possessed a certain special something that enabled them to stand out in a crowd. As I've witnessed people over the years, that view has shifted. People like to be told what to do, what to think, what the right answer is. There are many areas of my own life where I'm happy to let someone else do the research, filter the details and give me the summary. I don't want to be responsible to know all that. And, in most cases, I don't have time anyway. But in those areas where I feel a certain level of proficiency, a modicum of mastery, I gladly share my take.
Leadership, then, isn't being someone or something special. Leadership is stepping up and deciding, directing and taking responsibility.
You do that every day.
While much of the rest of the world leaves the decisions about their child's education and daily interactions to others, you have bucked the trend. Certainly there are areas where you still take the advice and insight of others--your homeschool curriculum, for example. But in the practical outplay of your day, the buck stops with you.
You are a leader.
What sets you apart from the rest of the world in this area is that you have been willing to take responsibility and make decisions.
The world needs more people like you.
~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester
P.S. I totally understand the pressure to "get it right" when you realize that people are letting you make the choice. It still rattles me a little when someone here at Sonlight lets me make the final call. If, like all great leaders, you'd like some insights and answers from someone who has gone before you, please feel free to contact a Sonlight Advisor. These homeschool moms will be happy to answer your questions and offer you their expertise as you make important curriculum decisions.
3 Comments