Gratitude Focus: Today, I spent 90 minutes mentoring a young leader with an old, wise vision.

Reflection/Why I’m Grateful:

What makes his vision old and wise is its focus on telling powerful stories about communities that don’t always have powerful stories told about them. At its core, his vision is about building a community of creatives who support one another to position themselves and my hometown, and beyond differently.

I sensed a strong desire in him to take a concept he’s been nurturing, one that has already produced some revenue, and convert it into a business. I’m actively thinking about the one relationship I can connect him to that could be transformative for him.

I believe growth happens when we reframe our thinking, sometimes by reframing the narratives we tell ourselves and others. Growth occurs when we do, when we are “doers” of the Word. Growth happens when we exercise personal agency and take action, don’t let anyone rob you of your dream. And growth happens when we change or adjust our social networks to lean into support and opportunity.

This young man reached out to me last year, and I told him not to come to me last minute on things. He took that to heart, saying today, “I’m reaching out to you early, I just want you to mentor me.”

We’ll see where this journey leads, but today, I am deeply grateful for doers.