Choosing not to fly solo

“The adventure you’re ready for is the one you get.” –Joseph Campbell

Too many of us are “flying solo” in our lives. We shy away from collaboration and the vulnerability inherent in that, because it’s scary to act otherwise.

Collaboration can be disappointing.
Collaboration can be frustrating.
Collaboration has resulted in people criticizing my ideas.
Collaboration has sometimes been full of betrayals or dishonesty.
Collaboration is a fearful place!

In my own life, a pattern emerged from childhood and beyond: after seeing people flake or drop the ball, and feeling disappointed, I pulled back and flew solo.

And after seeing people act in ways that were really frustrating, I pulled back and flew solo.

And after hearing criticism, both well-delivered but hard to hear as well as unfounded and incredibly mean-spirited, I pulled back and flew solo.

After a few instances where people said one thing but thought another (and, painfully, combined that with “behind the back” talk), it became easier to just do my own thing, stick with the person I knew I could trust (me) and fly solo.

But at a certain point, you’ve got to stop choosing to fly solo.

We were never meant to do all of this, alone. This is an interconnected and interdependent world. It might be the most vulnerable thing you ever do, choosing out of doing it all on your own.

It’ll also be the most worth it.