How Does a Community Stay Committed to its Mission - Kingswood Oxford

Big Thinkers Blog

January 17, 2020

How Does a Community Stay Committed to its Mission

Joan Edwards, Director of Diversity, Inclusion & Cultural Competency

January 20, 2017

 

It is challenging to keep a New Year’s resolution as an individual let alone a community of hundreds of people. The exercise of goal setting is both inspiring and scary all at once.. We feel the draw of hope for an improved life but fear the inevitable reality of that first misstep when we fail to uphold the promises that we made to ourselves. So how does a community stay focused on its mission?

  • Keep stating the goals and values. When we boldly speak up about how we want to hold ourselves accountable, we increase the likelihood that we will reach the desired outcomes.

  • Prepare for the opportunity to fail. The journey to keeping promises will definitely not be a straight line. We will falter; we will experience self doubt; and we will be tempted to give up. We may even literally give up. This stage in the process is as central to success as the initial steps of setting those goals in the first place.

  • Let go of expectations. While it is important to establish goals and set our intention for reaching them, we need to remain open to how reality will present us with their outcomes. Staying present and trusting the process enables us to learn from the experiences of working to reach our goals.

It is never easy to commit to making community objectives a reality. Chances of falling short are high. Nelson Mandela once stated, “I never lose. I either win or I learn.” I agree. There’s nothing to lose by taking the risk to learn from our promises.

Big
Thinkers
Blog
Main News
X

Open House Sunday, October 26

Middle School

Grades 6-8

10:00-12:00 p.m.

 

 

Upper School

Grades 9-12

2:00-4:00 p.m.

 

Roll out the Wyvern crimson carpet!  Prospective Upper School students and their families are invited to visit to learn more about academics, athletics, and the arts at KO! Hear why ‘Middle School matters’ to us at KO and get the opportunity to meet teachers, coaches, and current students. Join our Wyverns, who are eager to share more about everything from classrooms to clubs! 

 

Register for the Middle School Open House here.

Register for the Upper School Open House here.