[sneezes]
Huh. That's different.
Let's talk about Leslie Knope.
For those who don't know, Leslie Knope is a fictional character from the TV show Parks
and Recreation, played by the brilliant Amy Poehler.
Leslie works for the Parks and Rec department in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana.
When we're introduced to Leslie in the pilot, she is a mid-level bureaucrat with a lot of ambition.
From the way she speaks about her political idols to her enthusiasm for public service
to the countless binders she has organized for projects and future plans, you get the
sense that she's destined for bigger things.
But she lives and works in small town Pawnee, where things move slowly and both the citizens
and her coworkers don't share her enthusiasm for improving the quality of life in Pawnee.
That's the impression you get from Season 1, anyway.
When we meet Ron Swanson, Leslie's supervisor, he's a fierce Libertarian who believes that
government is a waste of taxpayer money.
So naturally, he and Leslie don't see eye to eye on government projects.
When we meet Tom Haverford and April Ludgate, they are clearly apathetic about government work.
Tom is a Parks and Rec administrator who often undermines Leslie, and April is a college
intern who doesn't like most people.
At the start of the show, getting Tom and April to do any government work enthusiastically
is like pulling teeth for Leslie.
But she nevers loses her optimism and continues to push forward in her work despite resistance
and red tape.
Over 7 seasons, the Parks and Rec department work together to complete various government
projects, and they slowly change their attitudes about government work and Leslie.
In Season 1, they view Leslie as someone who takes her work too seriously.
They find her oblivious at times, and they are reluctant to work with her.
But that doesn't bother Leslie.
She happily takes on all the work and still finds the time and energy to help out her friends.
Leslie's Gryffindor spirit and Hufflepuff work ethic rub off on her coworkers.
When Leslie decides to run for Pawnee city council, they enthusiastically form her campaign
team, going above and beyond to get her elected.
By the time Leslie finishes her run on city council, her Parks and Rec colleagues have
grown to love and respect her.
The qualities that they first find annoying about her, they now find endearing and inspiring.
When Leslie returns to her position at the Parks department in Season 6, she finds that
it has changed.
April is easily managing Animal Control, and Tom is killing it in his new role as Business Liaison.
She's surprised that she no longer has to do the bulk of the work, as her coworkers
are showing initiative and interest in their projects.
While she's impressed that her coworkers have stepped up in her absence, she's disappointed
that they're running things differently from the systems she'd set up.
There's an episode where Tom is preparing a presentation for the Small Business Coalition,
and Leslie isn't happy with Tom's choice not to use her specially designed project binder.
Fearing that he will fail his presentation, Leslie reverts to her old ways and tries to
take control of it, unaware of all the work Tom has been putting into making the presentation his own.
Thankfully, Ron is there to talk sense into Leslie, highlighting how much Tom has grown
in her absence.
Leslie learns to step back, and Tom nails his presentation, leaving Leslie to wonder
if she's actually needed at the Parks department.
And according to Ron, they don't.
He says that April and Tom started out as the most apathetic people he'd ever met,
and that Leslie turned them into efficient and caring government employees.
He notes that the Parks department can function without her, and this finally allows Leslie to
set her sights on greater ambitions.
So why am I talking about Leslie Knope?
For the longest time, I've seen my journey reflected in Leslie's narrative.
Like Leslie, I have a lot of ambition, and I want to be in a position where I can do
the most good.
We approach barriers with a can-do attitude, always thinking of ways around them, even
when the odds seem insurmountable.
And like Leslie, my laser focus on my goals can come at the expense of others, manifesting
in steamrolling and other unhealthy behaviors.
There's an episode that focuses specifically on Leslie's steamrolling, and
while the show mostly portrays this quality in a funny and positive light, that episode
shows how her actions negatively affect her relationships with her friends.
When I get really passionate about something, I fall into this habit of going too hard and
pushing too far.
That has led to burnout and unhealthy coping behaviors.
It turns me into someone I don't want to be.
When things no longer work or they've run their course, it's important to let go, for the
sake of maintaining relationships and your own mental health.
It's a lesson that Leslie learns throughout the course of the series, and it's a lesson that
I have been learning too, especially for the last several months.
I have been learning to let go, to sunset my time with old projects so I can focus on
new ones.
There are opportunities for growth with new projects, and now more than ever I find myself
in a place where I need to grow.
I'm grateful for the last five years on this channel.
It's been a safe space to find my voice and explore my creativity, to realize career
aspirations, to build and maintain friendships.
Thank you to those who have watched the growth of the channel and contributed to our discussions.
You've greatly enriched my life.
And thank you to the rotating cast of vloggers who have helped make this channel what it is.
You guys make my heart full.
In the words of Jed Bartlet, what's next?
Well, I am transitioning to my personal channel, where there has been some interest in the kinds of
videos I made for VEDA, with themes like storytelling, self reflection, and juggling.
I'm also developing a series that some people might find valuable.
If you'd like to learn more about it, you can check it out right here.
So yeah, I think that covers about everything…
Thank you so much for watching and following this journey.
Hope to you see you on the next leg of this adventure.
By the way, I moved to Montana.
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