I was struggling to write a post this week, not for a lack of inspiration. I would be a very fortunate woman if I could figure out how to convert the love and positivity I have experienced at Two Good into money. I looked back through my camera roll from this week and realised, while sitting in a cafe on the beachfront on the Sunshine Coast, just how fortunate I already am.
It is true that this past year has been simultaneously one of the best and hardest years of my life. Moving to Hull to start my placement year doing R&D for a brand I'd never even heard of (and doing analysis I still don't entirely understand), living with total strangers from all over the country and being responsible for my own time in my first ever 'big girl' job was all a real challenge. While a lot of my success this year came from within myself and pushing my boundaries, I was incredibly lucky to have the support of those around me. Those total strangers have become some of my closest friends and have gotten me through what seems like a fiction novel's quota of drama with laughter and togetherness. It has been my pleasure to channel my natural ability to love and care for others into those friendships, because they truly deserve all the happiness they can get. And also, they helped me to begin to accept that for myself too.
My biggest moments of self-acceptance have come though from my solo travel experiences this year. I love people watching, and I have been told many times that I am very observant, something that has been advantageous when trying to make sense of my little world in the context of existing in a global community. I have grown more in the last 8 months than I ever have before. Molly a year ago would never have found herself on the banks of Lake Como at 2am in the morning, laughing while avoiding being bitten by some very aggressive swans with people she met a couple hours ago in the hostel bar. She would have talked herself out of booking a flight to Oslo and turning up to a local Eurovision party (all in Norwegian by the way). She would have categorically refused to fly 26 hours to Sydney and try to complete a project at a social enterprise like Two Good in a field that she has no knowledge or experience in. She definitely would have chickened out of staying in a hostel dorm or going to a comedy show, or going on a track tour of Monza, or even going for dinner at a restaurant solo. But she is also me, and it is so important to look back on where you came from, to give power to who you are today.
Sitting on the beach in Noosa under the glowing light of an Aussie sunset, I felt able to reflect on this growth for the first time. I will admit to having a bit of a cathartic cry. I am incredibly proud of myself for all I have achieved but I am also more aware now than ever that I have not been alone on the journey of getting here. I came across a quote this morning that felt relevant to this summer at Two Good.
"Those with the least amount of social power figure out the best ways to take care of each
other."
I will admit that this quote came from my daily horoscope app, which as a scientist, I probably should be more skeptical about, but I really liked this statement. The support I have had from friends, family, work colleagues, mentors, strangers in foreign countries and the wonderful team at Two Good is not something everyone is privileged to have available to them. I find it near impossible to believe that without it, I would be here and be the woman I am today. And yet, I have seen inspiring examples of this strength every single day here. These women have been through so much to get to the point of getting onto the Two Good Work Work program and often with not nearly as much support and a whole load more barriers. They have made it work and it is a joy to watch them taking care of each other, absorbing the compassion and respect shown to them by Two Good, and then always putting it back out there into the other women, their families and their work. A lot of the women talk about their purpose being their children and I hope that one day I can be as good a mother and role model as them.
It has pushed me to realise that I can always change for the better, and by doing that work on myself, I am infinitely more able to put that back out into the world. I am coming to terms with the fact that my journey will be hard and I will need support. But that only builds you up as a person. Accepting your limitations is something a lot of leaders are missing out on and I think it is crucial to cultivating a respectful and successful environment for your team. Understanding limitations is the gateway to opportunity and growth. Get uncomfortable, try and fail at something, just know your support network is there to cushion your fall if needed.
I feel like I repeat myself every week in these blogs, but it's because I am so blown away by what Two Good have created here. I wish I had the knowledge and contacts to do this back home, but I fear the magic would be lost. It really is like a big warm hug - just given with honesty and some really good food. There is a tangible "specialness" about this place, which is why I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to be amongst it.
Please check out @TwoGoodCo on Instagram/their website for more on the incredible work they do in Sydney and NSW.