Over the holiday break, I went down a real Urban Dictionary rabbit hole. To be honest, I can't even remember what I was looking for, but it had something to do with language my kids and their cousins were using that I couldn't really translate. Usually, I am pretty good at these things since I work in a high school and spend my days deciphering teenagers' language, but in this case, I was lost. Once I figured out what I was looking for, I continued to browse for unknown reasons other than I wanted to see how far down the rabbit hole I could go. For those of you have visited Urban Dictionary, you know that it wasn't exactly a great trip. I read a lot of things that I can't unread, even though I would really like to. I finally stopped when I came across "Ride or Die" and just knew that I had to write a blog about it. According to the well-renowned academic resource known as Urban Dictionary, "Ride or Die was originally a biker term meaning if you couldn't ride you'd rather die. It has now changed to mean that you will “ride” any problems out or “die” trying." As I pondered this definition, I began thinking about whether or not I have any "ride or dies" in my life. As you might imagine, this led me down a different rabbit hole altogether, but this was a trip I didn't mind too much because it really forced me to prioritize what is really important in my life versus what is something that I am intensely focused on, but not critical to my life or career.
I think it is obvious to say, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention that my bride and kids are "ride or dies" for me. They are my foundation and we are always in each other's corners no matter what the circumstances. This extends to my parents and sisters because we have all been through way too much to not go to the end of the earth and back for each other. Again, these ride or dies are pretty easy for me to identify.
What isn't simple is identifying the ride or dies in my life outside of my family. These are the hills that I would die on because I believe in them so much. To be honest, there really aren't too many hills that I feel that passionate about that I will ride or die for them. I remember when I was just starting out in education, a wise mentor told me to be careful about the hills you choose to die on because you will be stepping on a lot of bodies along the way. At first, I had no idea what this meant, but over time, I realized that as a leader, if you choose a hill that you are going to ride or die on, you are setting the course for the people you lead and they are the ones that are going to fight that battle with you. In essence, you aren't the only one on that hill, so you better be careful about what peril you are setting them up for. All of a sudden, choosing a ride or die becomes a whole lot more difficult, doesn't it?
If everything is a big deal, nothing is a big deal, so be careful about your ride or dies and understand who they are going to impact. Remember, ride or dies are forever, so choose them wisely and make sure they are worth it. Take a moment to reflect on the people and things in your life that you are willing to go to bat for and do an honest assessment to see if they are worth it. It might just give you an opportunity to realize that some hills aren't worth dying on.
#OwnYourEpic #Embrace
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