“Luck finds you in the right spaces, nurturing the networks and being vulnerable enough to speak your truth.”
I believe in luck and that we live in a world of possibilities. In 2020 December I wrote about this in Part 1 then early this year I got to reflect on my encounter with some senior colleagues who’ve had a mark in my personal and professional development. It’s a marvel how disjointed such experiences can come to be but in the end the dots connect and all we can do is be grateful for them.
This week has been a reflective one for me, getting to learn broadly and critically think through some of the insights that I picked up. One such light bulb moment was when I watched this YouTube video by Barbara Sher where she talks about isolation as the dream-killer and not our attitude. In her narration, she recounts instances in her life where she’s engaged with and tried out the concept of building meaningful connections with a purpose to support each other in pursuit of their interests. Reflecting on this, I was reminded of instances where I’ve been stuck and reaching out was the only thing that made the difference. Immediately I finished my coursework, I didn’t know what to do and was looking for an opportunity to work. This made me call on the former President, Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (PSK), Dr Paul Mwaniki to inquire about any opportunities he would have known about. Luckily there was an IT system development and upgrade at his facility. This became my first assignment in data entry with him and luckily he needed more people so I called on my colleagues and we made the best of the opportunity. When this came to an end, and I found myself without a plan on what would come next, I called on Dr Elizabeth Wala who I had met earlier during a conference. By happenstance, Kenya Healthcare Federation (KHF) was to host the East Africa Healthcare Federation Conference (EAHF) and they need a Project Associate to help coordinate the work. Luck was on my side again. It wasn’t magic but the value of human connections. I’ve had my fair share of such experiences (narration in November – thanksgiving month) including my current role.
We live in a world of possibilities. For whatever we need that we may not be able to fulfill by ourselves, there’s always someone somewhere able and willing to support us on our journey. Unfortunately, without being in these spaces and making our asks, they may never know about them. In the same spirit, teamwork calls for us to seek out the help we need from those with whom we work and this is a key piece in ensuring we establish functional teams and organizations.
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This evening, I had the privilege of co-hosting our first activity as the PSK Young Pharmacists Group (YPG) in collaboration with the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Young Pharmacists Group. For a soft launch, the plan was to keep it light and help individuals connect through a networking session facilitated through games, quizzes and fun moments. From such platforms we forge friendships we may never know how to tap into in the moment but may play a key role in our future aspirations. What counts is in being part of the forums, learning from and engaging with others. When the time comes we’ll have the support system we need and I believe there’s always a need for support. This is the basis of my involvement in the network, to create a system that brings together young pharmacists to collaborate, support each other and raise the profile of the profession while serving patients who are at the core of our practice.
It’s a world of possibilities. May we foster friendships, keep in touch and engage in spaces that enable us to realize our aspirations.
Ps. This blog will be shifting to an official domain in August. Stay tuned for the announcement when it comes live. In the meantime, if you would want to get an update when the new site comes live send us an email on: info.thesparkventures@gmail.com.