Audience of One

The year 2022 has been very eventful; some may remember it for good, and some for other reasons. I will remember it as a year when I consistently wrote a weekly post for almost three months. Those who know me, including myself, consider this an achievement, as expressing myself verbally and in writing is a development area for me. I initially thought to use the final post to reflect on the key messages I have shared since I picked up the blog again, but as I think of all that has happened in the last few months, I wonder what purpose my posts have served the larger scheme of things.   

I discussed organisation politics, the role of everyday unsung hero/heroines, high-performance culture, values, leadership expectations and managing post-change, yet, I read the news and think to myself, are my efforts better placed elsewhere, as there are probably people who have better insights than I? 

The world is plagued with the same troubles it always has, and the cycle continues. We read the stories of wars, economic crises, displaced people, poverty, mass downsizing, racial tensions, etc. I wonder whether we need some type of world retrospective to explore why some of these issues are still issues and agree on a jointly acceptable way to address them once and for all. I am not naïve to think that we can solve the world's problems with a retrospective. However, we need to consider the lessons of what got us here. There will always be issues, but the noise seems so loud at the moment, and I can't help but feel helpless. As I reflect on some of my posts, it looks like child's play in the face of the challenges some of us are facing now. 

Amid the feeling of helplessness and gloominess, I realised that my posts, are for an audience of one, me, to fulfil my core purpose, and maybe those who are encouraging and supporting my journey to do better and feel better. So, as I round up the year with this post, who/what is your audience of one? An audience of one is usually centred around purpose, faith or family. It would involve a single active focus on one thing, just as Luke Skywalker was focused on shooting the Death Star's core in Star Wars. 
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If you are a person of faith, you will be familiar with the concept of living for the audience of one, which would usually be a deity, for me, my Christian faith. You hear musicians/songwriters use this concept. When asked about their inspiration for a song, they respond with I wrote it for my wife/partner or parents. It's fascinating how that audience of one appeals to millions. In sports, at the end of a great win, the star player refers to their family who is watching the game. Hollywood has made the concept of the audience of one even more popular. You see it in movies like the pursuit of happiness, hidden figures, the king's speech, and joy. 

Living to the audience of one serves multiple purposes. It satisfies you with each step you take forward. Fulfilment, once achieved, fuels you up in times of adversity, brings you closer to your loved one and strengthens your support network. In addition, it brings joy to your audience of one. The character, Meena in the animation "Sing", received the courage to sing from those who supported her and loved her. It brought people around her joy and gave her joy.   

As the year closes, reflect on who or what your audience for one is and focus on it. Like me, many of us can't change the world, but we can make little ripples where we are. With each ripple, we make the world a better place. Make a start regardless of whether it makes sense or not. Do you need a personal retrospective to know who or what your audience of one is, or do you need a support system around you (by the way, feel free to reach out to me if you need help with either question)? I hope everyone who reads this does better and feel better, even if it is to the audience of one. As we draw the curtains on the year, I wish all who read/like or comment on my posts season greetings, and I hope 2023 brings you all that you hope, dream or desire, especially your audience of one. 

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