Everybody Struggles

Frederick Douglass said if there is no struggle, there is no progress, and he was right.

These past 3 weeks have been insightful. I didn't know it was possible to work in a cool professional environment where employees don't have to walk and work on eggshells.

I have worked in a professional setting before, and half the time, I was wondering if I was doing everything right, if my boss was mad at me, or if I was acting weird (thank God for the remote work experience).

To be honest, I am grateful for the people at NumFocus. I feel like a younger sister working with them, especially with Arliss, who I report to directly. She is the kindest and always ensures we are on the same page. She also makes sure I understand what's being said during meetings, and for that, I am grateful.

So yes, everyone struggles. For me, it was fitting in. How do I fit into a workplace that is predominantly filled with more knowledgeable people? How do I not mess up this opportunity? How do I ensure I meet everyone's expectations? Well, don't come at me for having such thoughts.

I struggled with these questions for the first 2 seconds working with Arliss at NumFocus. And I say 2 seconds because it didn't linger. Arliss calmed all my fears and made me feel comfortable.

I consider myself a high achiever who loves to surpass everyone's expectations, especially when it has to do with my future. In fact, in our last village meeting at Road Trip Community, I realized I am the Natural Genius type. The type of person who is scared to test new waters and only ventures into what they are absolutely sure they would thrive in. Now you understand my dilemma.

Everyone struggles, but with someone, or should I say a superhero by your side (in this case, mine is Arliss), you won't have to struggle, and even if you do, you will never be alone. She reminds me of my blog post about the power of one person believing in you.

I don't apologize for going on and on about Arliss. She is a gem. Does her presence mean I won't ever struggle? Nope. It doesn't. But for all the times she helped made me struggle less, and I am grateful.

This blog post is dedicated to Arliss and to other great mentors out there who help us to be better. I am sincerely grateful.