Recently I have a feeling that the only thing that others want me to do is to listen to all their „NOs” or „it’s impossible” and simply give up.
When people became so pessimistic?
I get that, wearing a black hat from time to time it’s needed. It keeps me grounded as I tend to fly in the clouds, but isn’t it more pleasant just to have an attitude that it will simply work out?
A few months ago I made a decision that I want to open my own social enterprise, and my journey of listening to „no” has started. It’s like people don’t know other words, it’s kinda funny. Well, it’s not but I made a choice to perceive it in this way.
Long story short, our enterprise (omg it’s so cool to say our, as I recently have one person who joined me) is addressing the issue of inequality and inequity of education and provides leadership development program for teachers. Programs that we want to run supposed to bring long-term systematic changes in the polish education system as well as an impact on students and communities. Well.. where there is a system there is lots of rules, procedures and bureaucracy, and looooots of people who don’t want to deal with changes, as changes are scary like monsters under our beds. Changes mean that we need to change ourselves first.
We want to launch the first program of Teach for Poland in 2019.
Our 2018 equals hard-work, sweat, tears, blood and lots of satisfaction as we are making our dreams come true.
2018 equals raising money that will help us sustain organization at least in the first year (or two) and pay salaries for around 10 people that we want to hire, and 100 fellows that we want to put in polish schools (salary for ourselves would be nice as well heh).
2018 equals designing training and program for fellows after immersion to polish communities.
2018 equals getting a green light (or at least yellow) from polish government and ministry of education to run program.
2018 equals finding a way to place our fellows in schools in a way that they will have a real impact on a student, school, and community.
2018 equals possibly the most challenging year yet.
All above plus my stubbornness and my ambition left me no other choice as to go through this year with an attitude that „I don’t take „no” for an answer”. I simply don’t have another option. Being solution oriented might be harder than giving up but I don’t feel good about choosing the easier option.
In last few months, I had meetings with many people just to share with them ideas, get their feedback and interest. The sentence that I’ve heard most of the times was „this is such a great idea, very needed in Poland but honey it won’t work, not now”
First, I am not your honey.
Secondly, tell me why?
Here they were usually giving me a list full of excuses or factors that in my opinion can be overcome with hard work, creativity, good connection and of course a bit of luck.
Am I that that naive or the way how you perceive things can really influence your success? If I am naive, please let me stay this way.
Rejection is painful. When someone is calling you with information that you didn’t get that job, you are going through a break-up or you didn’t get promotion…yeah, it sucks. Usually, first thoughts that are coming to our minds is that there is something wrong with us. Of course, maybe you were horrible boyfriend/girlfriend or simply you were not fit for this job. If that is true just acknowledge that fact and move on. Don’t get stuck in all of those rejections.
If I would listen to all those „NO” in last months I would probably let go Teach for Poland long time ago. My self-doubt would be growing every single minute. What is worst I would give up my purpose and passion and let others control my life. I know that I am stronger than that, so are you.
When I changed my narrative to „I don’t take no for an answer” many things changed for me. The way how I listen to people is very different. I am trying to understand the meaning of words, assumptions are not allowed here. I become much more confident about the way how I pitch my ideas. I learned how to ask the right question at the right time to right people (rule of 3R). Believe me when and to whom you are talking makes so much difference.
And so, I decided to start living the life I’d imagine.
I am the one empowering myself, I am the one who believes in Teach for Poland the most so others will believe in it also. I am the one who believe and put trust in myself, my capabilities and my instinct so others can believe and trust me as well. It’s very liberating. I gave myself permission to shine and glow every time that I am talking about Teach for Poland and it feels great. What is even more awesome is that this glow transmits to other expect of my life. Win-win!
I don’t want to waste my time overthinking all rejections that I am getting or will get during upcoming year (and I am sure that there will be many of them). I always loved this saying „if you can’t enter through door use window” and if a window is closed, how about the chimney?
I am ready to master the art of solution-orientation and show to the others that finding at least 3 solutions to one problem it’s possible. I am discovering the world of entrepreneurship, and I am falling in love with it every day, piece by piece. It can break you and stretch you in ways you have never imagined. (kinda like yoga haha)
Challenge yourself and invest one week in mastering this art as well, you won’t regret it. And if you will be lucky It will stick, trust me.
Ah, and if by any chance we will meet in the future, remember that I don’t take „no” for an answer.
Thanks for reading! Sending love from Poland.
