As an avid gardener, I spend many hours pottering away in my vegetable garden and tending to the many fruit trees and shrubs. One of the most mysterious fruits I grow is dragon fruit. Grown on cactus-like stems, the flowers appear once a year to bear fruit, high in antioxidants and vitamin C. If you wish to see these spectacular flowers, you need to sit up for many hours during the night.
Yes…. That is right! They flower at night and are closed and wilted by dawn.
One evening I set up my iPad to capture this transformation as a time lapse video. I must admit I did sit for many hours just watching too.
It got me thinking about how this fruit tree shines in the shadows and shows us its best when no one is watching. So, what can this flowering dragon fruit teach us about our work?
Our role as educators is to build capacity, build culture and ensure that all not only have the skills but capability to thrive themselves. Our new RP2.0 Operating Domains now includes the BY box, where we become mentors and supporters of those who go out into the world knowing how to truly behave in a restorative manner. Being restorative is therefore our natural way of being.
So, as we shine in the shadows let’s continue to work authoritatively to:
- Espouse the value of each individual we meet.
- Favour protection of all over perfection of outcome.
- See mistakes as opportunities to learn.
- Begin all conversations sitting in empathy.
- Reflect to adjust, not judge.
- Create the conditions for open conversations and solution-based action.
- Support all in shared responsibility and accountability.
Let’s accept our humanness and continue to work in the shadows to allow those we build and nurture shine in the daylight!
That is power.
That is resilience.
That is strength.
Warm regards,
