This week’s bonus episode of Lucky to Be Here is part one of an extended discussion that my dear friend, colleague, and collaborator Dr. Sebastian Vallejo Vera and I had in his original episode. In that episode, we discussed his experience developing his academic career across North America, starting in the United States, and what that looked like as a family unit for him, his wife, and kids.
Any discussion between Sebastian and I can last hours, and this one was no exception. In this first part, we address a question that we grapple with often: What are the power dynamics shaping academia?
I highly recommend you to listen to it as a window into a faculty's perspective on career development and the decisions made (or not) about it. This is a particularly interesting episode if you are planning on going into graduate school, pursuing an academic career, or are already in this environment and want to think about how we can do better to support our colleagues. (Side note: if you are interested in applying for graduate school, or in your early years of a program, keep an eye out on our next episode too, where we share plenty of advice for you!)
But I know many of you are not in academia or interested in it, and yet, there is also something for you here. What do I mean? I have a quick example for you.
A few months ago, I was in a consulting session with an advisor of mine, discussing my year ahead and the many questions in my mind. There was one question in particular that really kept me up here and there, and I wanted to find an answer to. In that discussion, I posed a question in hopes this advisor would help me put an end to my woes. They got quiet, and pointed out: “Do you realize how blatantly you are giving your power away?” I confess I felt an immediate wave of shame overtake me. There was a part of me who would have reacted strongly immediately. But I got quiet, and took a minute to understand what they were saying. I could see it. In the urgency of putting an end to my discomfort, I was transferring the responsibility of path charting to them. That conversation has stayed with me since, and it remains one of the top-of-mind questions. Today I offer it to you:
Where are you possibly giving your power away?
Is it in waiting for something to happen without showing up for yourself in the meantime? Is it in expecting someone else to do something or change something so you can feel a certain way? Is it in fighting against the current situation rather than sitting down to understand how you feel and why that is?
Whatever comes to your mind as I ask this question, I hope this serves as a nudge to get curious about where you might be inadvertently giving your power (and energy) away. As always, I would love to hear what this question sparks for you, so reply back to share. Join me on Patreon to continue the discussion, get the behind-the-scenes updates, and discuss these themes live with me at our monthly gathering.
See you in two weeks!