I’ve decided to be more like Marshawn Lynch. Hear me out here. Lynch famously appeared at the Super Bowl pressers and said, “I’m just here so I don’t get fined.” He spoke it as an answer and a mantra. It wound up on a tee shirt.
Before the vultures got a hold of it, the statement resonated in my heart as something that suited my current point of view in terms of workplace politics and the larger shift occurring on campus. In truth, I’m more interested in honing my skills as an instructor at this point. I spent the last five years patching holes and pouring my heart and soul into the roles given to me at the college. All of that blood, sweat, and soul drained away from the classroom and, frankly speaking, I started to really suck. So, I decided to switch gears, pulling back from the political noise and the work and roles and problems I could not solve and moved towards the ones I was capable of handling.
It makes all the sense in the world. See, when you pour your energy into everything, nothing gets done. When you pour your energy into just what you can handle then you get to finish things and have the energy to feel good about flowing into the next task. That would be new for me.
New and Good.
The deal I need to get behind is not getting involved–emotionally. That is where Lynch comes in. “I’m just here so I don’t get fined,” becomes my mantra for action and inaction. If I stick to my guns I ought to be okay.