Eating the Elephant
I’ve often told myself what kind of person I’d be if I just had the time. A person who reads entire books, who meditates and journals, exercises daily, meal preps and prioritizes scratch-made meals using whole foods and tackles grand-scale house projects.
Then the world got a collective timeout.
Turns out I am not that person. I am someone who fills her plate and then takes a bite of each dish, working her way around the plate slowly, circling back for another taste of this and that until all the food is cold.
Instead of continuing to beat myself up for my unfulfilled lengthy ‘to-do’ list, I have finally been able to see that I always finish my favorites, the things that bring me the most personal satisfaction. And that realization and acceptance set the stage for the kind of person I truly want to be: someone who lives authentically and prioritizes the things that matter most to them.
It’s a theme you’ll see reflected in this year’s annual 20 Under 40 feature highlighting young professionals at the top of their fields. It isn’t success for achievement’s sake that led them there. It’s a focus on the things most important to them – things like equality, connectivity, growth, wisdom.
Those are big plates, to be sure, but I’m betting our ’20 Under 40′ eat theirs one serving at a time.
– Jennifer Bardoner, editor