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In Fall 2024, I had the opportunity to participate in a Jewish Learning Fellowship program through American University Hillel. One aspect of the program included weekly journaling following a certain prompt that was given.
For one of the weeks, a question was raised on who do you trust for advice and decisions. The prompt that accompanied this was simple: Create a Board of Directors for you that can help you make important decisions and statements. There were no preset restrictions, but we could put our own input into our answer.
That idea is what I wish to expand upon here.
First, I needed to create a set of "guidelines" for me to follow when determining the selection:
Job/Career - What are they doing now that could help broaden my outlook? In addition, what have they done professionally in the past that is worth an examination?
Knows my history - Obviously, I don't want someone who doesn't know who I am, or at the very least can't give much valuable input.
Communication Style - Straightforward and to-the-point. I don't need flowery language. Conciseness is key in my town.
Encourages natural health - My medical philosophy is slightly different from the mainstream. As such, it is imperative that I have someone who won't compromise on health.
Non-Distracting: Many Boards have people who just want to cause havoc. If you're helping me, then you do want to help me.
So now that we have all of the logistics for such a complex undertaking, I am delighted to present my solution to the Board of Directors question. There will be five individuals on such a board excluding yours truly.
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The Guardian
The only person with the "auto-veto" ability, The Guardian would be one of my parents, and would be second-in-command at all Board meetings. In addition, they would not hesitate to use their connections to better the Primary Director (myself). I chose for this role to be placed first because it would not be fair if it was otherwise. Alongside the fact that no one knows me as well as my parents.
This is the only role that would rotate between two individuals frequently.
The Employer
Someone who is/was an employer of mine. They had spent decades at numerous businesses and seeing firsthand what the business world across numerous industries has become. The Employer would have discretionary say in anything related to job prospeccts and professional choices. They would also be the individual in charge of the attire, professionalistic manners, and other assorted styles for the Board.
While they may seem to be stuffy, they can also be casual, and help find that delicate line in all things professional.
The Academic
Similar to how the Employer advises with professional issues, the Academic would be a muse for my academic/scholarly journal. This is especially important in higher education, where I am trying to make the most out of the collegiate investment journey.
On what they would be most suited to help out with: Everything related to schooling now, and what has become of my pursuits in the past. Something that people need to look on as they also glance towards the future.
The Peer
While it is true that you would want someone with more experience and thus more wisdom (or whatever the saying goes), I believe it is also equally important to have someone close to you, who is around the same beliefs as you, but may think of things ever so slightly differently.
The Peer would be a very close friend who has seen my ups and downs with many aspects, but most notably social, as they have seen me more so than other potential members.
The Oddball
While the rest of these Board Members all have valid reasons to be on here, I do feel like there should be one "Oddball" who is just a throwaway person who may not necessarily make sense, but have some insights and ideas from time to time that produce a different perspective and thought process than the others might have.
Who would this person be? Probably a celebrity, or a random acquaintance who wouldn't know enough about me, but has a thing or two, given the limited circumstances that they were made aware of. Plus, what's fun without a little spontaneity?
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I tried to have AI generate an image of what I was talking about, but I didn't like the results (which is a good thing probably in retrospect). So I decided to just adapt from pre-existing material. I imagine the board to be like this:
So just be mindful, behind every person, chances are there is a board watching and advising their every move.
Yes, it has been longer than I would have liked to write a post. But life happens. Regardless, I am here now!
Thanks for reading. See you soon!