To Comprehend a Nectar
The poetry, reality and mundane joys of discussing the fruits of our labor
Success +
In retrospect, if there has been a theme for the first six months of this newsletter, it’s success. On the surface, the editorial underpinning is clear: celebrating success, owning success, sharing success. Just below, though, I also see how I’ve seized these opportunities in conversation to interrogate success, to understand how driven, accomplished women in foreign policy make peace with success.
These aren’t my stories but these conversations stem from my interests. And I am interested in success — ordinary and monumental — and in failure — ordinary and monumental. Naturally, then, I am also interested in resilience.
In Conversation this week, Ambassador Piper Campbell touches on the phenomenon whereby she often learns about a colleague — or even a friend’s —greatest achievements from reading about them elsewhere. More often, people are inclined to wait for someone else to mention their accomplishments. In fact, this is often the preferred and classy way of commemorating a job well done.
The result, though rarely discussed and perhaps rarely realized, is that we can divorce ourselves from our proudest moments — while keeping our (often private) failures tucked in close. It’s the easier choice. Who wants to wrestle with an action as loaded as boasting or braging? Isn’t the selfless choice — empty but risk-less — the real prize? Only just.
And so these conversations continue. The invitation to reflect, rumble, recount epic and monumental successes and failures — to speak your experiences into existence — continues.
On Friday, Heera Kamboj will be In Conversation. Next week will feature chats with Olimar Maisonet-Guzmán and Katharine Nanavatty. These Q&As are for paid subscribers and you can join for 50 percent off below.
Know a Woman in Foreign Policy Who Should Join our Conversation?
Share in the comments below or email me at jennifer.koons@protonmail.com.