Circles of Support
We love circle metaphors, right?
You know…the circle of life, like in the Lion King?
The circle is both an image and a metaphor of completeness and equality.
A circle is a container, a vessel of protection and safety whose boundary helps encourage sharing and confidentiality.
A circle is a powerful thing, and we use it often to express complex concepts.
“To come full circle”
“To go around in circles”
“To circle the wagons”
“To circle back around”
“Circle of influence”
Powerful images of circles: clocks, wheels, rings, coins, compass, life buoy, medicine wheel…
It tells us that everything is just going to keep going round and round and come back again so that we can enjoy it more, try it again and get better or just know that we are not hitting a dead end.
This all leads to my idea about having a “Circle of Support”. This could be people and/or things that we surround ourselves with in order to feel complete and like we are enough.
From now until the end of the semester, it is a whirlwind of demands for teachers.
We have got to have our circle of support together to help us get through the holidays, the end of the semester and the end of another calendar year!
So, who can be in your circle of support?
One circle could be friends, family, colleagues…whoever we feel can and will protect us, make us feel safe and with whom we can share anything and in confidence. There may only be a privileged few who get to stand in that circle beside us.
Brené Brown says:
“Our stories are not meant for everyone. Hearing them is a privilege, and we should always ask ourselves this before we share: “Who has earned the right to hear my story?” If we have one or two people in our lives who can sit with us and hold space for our shame stories, and love us for our strengths and struggles, we are incredibly lucky. If we have a friend, or small group of friends, or family who embraces our imperfections, vulnerabilities, and power, and fills us with a sense of belonging, we are incredibly lucky.”
I also believe that we can surround ourselves with things that will support us in a safe and healthy way… ie. not material possessions or bigger and fancier gadgets, but rather things like post-it notes with words of affirmation or pictures of loved ones or of loving memories created during holidays or vacations or ritual events like weddings/birthdays, etc.
These are the people and the things that remind us of the “circle of life” and how they support us every step of the way in our life’s journey.
They are a reminder and an affirmation of why we are here and what we will pass on when we are gone.
Who and what show up in your “Circle of Support”?
Hold their hands and hold them in your heart and feel the loving support that will help sustain you through whatever challenge or situation you find yourself in on the next step of your journey.
I would love to believe that teachers have all the support they need from their admin, students, parents, colleagues, family, etc.
But we all know that isn’t true.
I think it is more realistic to have a balance of people and things from our personal life and from our professional life.
So, as a teacher, I may have a mixture of family members or non-school friends in my circle as well as a few people from school that might be included.
For me, my “Circle of Support” was (and continues to be) my two daughters and a long-time friend who is not a teacher as well as a couple of colleagues at school and the head custodian. I also have a few teachers that I met at conferences who became my PFFs (Professional Friends Forever) that stand beside me in that circle.
This is how I survived, thrived and grew into a better version of myself as a teacher every day because I knew I had the support and love of those in my circle. They are priceless!
Draw a circle and write down the names of the people that you know are standing next to you, holding your hand and filling your heart with love every step of the way on your journey.
Then, remember to be grateful, to value them and tell them how much they are treasured!
Image credit: “Support Circle” by ChristopherA is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
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