The Sea Turtle Challenge!
Pretty much every time I am about to enter my office on a weekend to write a blog post... I ask my family..."What's this week's post about?". Without fail... or hesitation... my daughter Emily exclaims "Sea Turtles!" She is studying Resource Conservation at ASU and has a passion for sea animals.
So... with a case of writer's block... here we go!
Sea Turtle Fast Facts
As part of the challenge... I asked for 3-5 facts about Sea Turtles that Emily found most interesting. Here is what she came up with...
some sea turtles have backward facing spines that line their throat to keep food from migrating back out of their mouths with the sea water they intake but this can be detrimental when eating plastics such as grocery bags
sea turtles lay multiple nests of around 125 eggs but only 1/1000 hatchlings survive to adulthood but if they make it can live upwards of 100 years old
sea turtles can not retract their limbs into their shells like other turtles to maintain their buoyancy by not bringing air and water into their shells
scientists aren’t sure how but sea turtles that migrate all over the globe often return to the beach they were born on to lay their own eggs 20-30 years later. Some species group together into large groups of females called an arrival to nest
Inspiration From Sea Turtles
Emily cleverly explained that she chose all four facts because she felt there were lessons we could all learn. It was on me to figure out what they were. Here is what I came up with...
Your superpower can sometimes be your greatest weakness. I believe we all have super powers or things that make us successful. It is often what helps us to not only survive but thrive in the environment we are in. We have to be careful not to take it for granted that this works in all cases and be mindful when we need to approach things cautiously or to steer clear of certain things
YOU are 1 in 1000. Not every company... role... team... industry is for YOU. It may take you multiple tries till you find a place where you can learn...mature and gain the experience that capitalizes on your strengths. Once you get there...it can contribute to a long and prosperous career
Embrace your natural capabilities and don't worry about the others. Not that sea turtles compare themselves to other turtles like we compare ourselves to others... the point is...YOU are YOU and don't worry or second guess yourself. The skills and capabilities you have are there for a reason...and so is everyone else. Don't be hard on yourself because you aren't just like them!
Never forget where you came from. In our leadership journey...we grow...we learn...we build on experience. In some cases this means migrating all over the world and in others it means blossoming where we were planted. In either case... we should pause and appreciate how far we have come and not only WHAT got us here...but WHO. Find time to group together with YOUR people and appreciate YOUR arrival to the nest!
In Closing...
Who knew you could take so much away from a Sea Turtle?
I think the point from all of this is to make time to reflect and draw inspiration from things all around us. We get caught up in our long weeks... our numerous meetings... the stress of work... the pressure to deliver... that we forget that we aren't alone. There are other people... creatures (i.e. Sea Turtles) that are grappling with challenges... change...how they fit...ALL on top of how to make the most out of the natural capabilities they have been given.
Now... it's YOUR turn... will YOU take up the Sea Turtle challenge too?
Leadership Questions of the Week for YOU:
Where do YOU get your writing prompts when you hit writers block?
Which fast fact / lesson learned was YOUR favorite?
Do YOU know of other Sea Turtle Facts that YOU can write about?
Will YOU take up the Sea Turtle Challenge and write YOUR blog post based on one (or all) of the fast facts listed above? I would LOVE to read it!
YOUR turn to submit a writing prompt! I am ALWAYS looking for inspiration
Thanks for reading….and remember…YOU make a difference!
Please continue the conversation by liking…commenting or sharing this article. You can also follow me on twitter @marciedwhite or follow me on LinkedIn.
