Sheryl Sandberg’s “sit at the table” resonated soundly in my brain when I first read her book and remained stuck. Over the years, I heard many great leaders and allies speak of finding our place at the table, and if not, make the table.
Metaphorical sometimes as although many of us would be seated at the table many times, but the challenge would be different, though not uncommon. That of either getting our voice drowned by others or worse not being confident enough to voice our thoughts.
That led me to think of our first tryst with the table.
It starts when a toddler is able to sit at the dining table independently and partake food along with the rest of the family. That becomes part of the routine of dining together be it breakfast, lunch or dinner.
The relationship built at the table and with the table becomes defining moments for the years to come.
How congenial is the atmosphere when the family is eating together?
Are each one of them deep in their thoughts, head bowed, more interested in their gadgets (earlier newspapers) and not even looking at each other?
Or are the elders in the family talking to each other and chiding younger ones for interrupting?
Is anyone in the family getting a preferential treatment for food or always getting the opportunity to share their thoughts or maybe speak over others?
Is everyone in the family given a moment to share their opinion, their experience, feel heard, comforted? Anyone in particular being ridiculed often?
Or do families even dine together at all?
These deep seated memories of our formative years make us who we are when we are at the table in our adult lives or trying to be seated at the table.
Memorable, encouraging, familial and motivating experience gives us the confidence to take a seat at the table and speak up, while quite the opposite if we are subdued or overlooked.
TheEbbandFlow 