Squishy Butter!
My sweet niece (aged 11) and I recently celebrated her birthday together by doing a 'birthday date day' together. And we committed. We went full on 'twinning' vibes - matching...jean shorts. White tees. Crossbody bags.
Sun hats. Even down to matching jewelry!
Before we headed out, I grabbed what I thought were 'the essentials' for my purse - wallet. Phone. Car keys. Sunglasses. Mints. Hand sanitizer... You know... the grown-up things.
Then I watched my niece carefully prepare her own crossbody bag. She was every bit as thoughtful. In went a mini candy bar. Lip gloss. And my personal favorite...one of those viral squishy butter toys!!! Her 'essentials'.
I smiled as I watched her zip up her bag with such purpose. Because, of course, they were essentials. Just not the same ones as mine. It made me wonder how much our lives are shaped by what we decide is worth carrying.
Some things are practical. Some things bring us comfort. Some things simply make us smile. As we grow, what we carry changes. Responsibilities replace toys. Calendars replace candy bars. Phones replace imagination more often than we'd probably like to admit. And somewhere along the way, many of us quietly add things we never intended to carry at all - pressure. Perfectionism. Other people's expectations.
As leaders, we talk a lot about what we need to take on. Maybe we should spend just as much time asking what no longer belongs in our bag. Because what and how we carry shapes how we lead. What if we packed a little more curiosity? A little more compassion? A little more wonder?
Maybe even something delightfully unnecessary that simply reminds us not to take ourselves so seriously. Watching my niece carefully pack her "essentials" reminded me that value isn't always measured by usefulness. Sometimes the things we carry are simply reminders of who we are. Or who we're becoming.
I still think my wallet was probably the more practical choice.
But if I'm honest... there are days when a squishy butter toy might be exactly what this leadership journey calls for!!
#leadershiplessons #lifewithbutterisbetter #lisakjellstrom #daretopause