The morning carried a sense of renewal. Conversations with colleagues reminded me of the quiet role I often play as a guide within the team. Though I find myself coordinating 40 to 60 individuals without a formal title or pay, the work feels less about labels and more about the steady rhythm of responsibility. Still, a question lingers at the edge of my thoughts, like a shadow that will not quite leave: am I walking the right path, and what choices led me here?
That shadow grew more present as I recalled a small moment from last week, an AA member passing by without returning my farewell. The gesture was minor, yet it left me with a faint sense of invisibility. Such moments remind me how deeply recognition matters to us all, even in its smallest forms. As others voiced their frustrations, I felt a tide of emotions stir within me—impatience, the desire to speak, even a flicker of anger. I remained silent, wondering if composure itself might sometimes be the most genuine expression of leadership.
We may not please everyone, but we hold attention through a gesture, a word, or something unlooked for. The unease of that moment lingered with me, its presence casting a shadow over the day. In earlier times, I might have carried it heavily, keeping it locked inside. Now, I find more value in simply acknowledging the feeling and then allowing it to pass.
Perhaps every leader walks with such a shadow, a quiet companion made of doubt, frustration, and unanswered questions. To live alongside it, without allowing it to dictate the path, may be less about perfection and more about growth. In that acceptance, space opens for renewal, and with it, the possibility of a fresh beginning.