Standing Strong Alone, Growing Stronger Together

For most of my life, I have been fiercely independent—and honestly, I still believe that independence is an important and necessary stage of growth. Being independent teaches us who we are. It helps us discover our values, our strengths, our preferences, and the way our mind works. That part matters, and I never want to lose sight of it.

What I want to talk about here is not independence itself, but the evolution of it.

When I was doing accounting work, I loved working alone. If the books were out of balance, I did not want help. In fact, having someone jump in often slowed me down. I now understand why—my brain works quickly and analytically. I see patterns fast. I follow numbers instinctively. Other people don’t always think the same way, and that’s not wrong—it’s just different.

At the time, though, my mindset was simple: I know my stuff. Please just let me work.

Later, I took those accounting skills and moved into a completely different role—working as a customer service representative for an accounting software company. On paper, that might sound like an odd choice for an accountant, but I loved it. I love talking to people. I love helping. I love fixing problems. Customer support felt like a game to me.

“Give me the next question—I’ll figure it out.”

What I didn’t expect was the environment I walked into. I was suddenly surrounded by over 150 people, all working toward the same goal: helping customers succeed. The software was expansive, constantly evolving, and there was no way any one person could know everything right away.

Customer support wasn’t a solo act—it was teamwork!

The company invested heavily in that idea. We received teamwork training, personality training, and communication skills training. Collaboration wasn’t just encouraged—it was rewarded. And slowly, something shifted in me.

I learned that being part of a team doesn’t diminish your strengths—it expands them.

Every personality brought something different to the table. Some people saw solutions I would have missed. Others asked questions I wouldn’t have thought to ask. When you put only like-minded people in a room, blind spots form. Diversity of thought is what creates balance, innovation, and resilience.

That’s when I truly understood the difference between independence and interdependence.

Independence is knowing yourself. Interdependence is knowing how to work with others—with respect and grace.

Both are skills. Both are necessary.

So my invitation is this: get to know yourself deeply. Honour the seasons when you need to work alone, focus inward, and trust your own abilities. And also—learn when it’s time to lean into collaboration, to ask for help, to value perspectives different from your own.

If more of us could hold both—independence and interdependence—I truly believe the world would be a kinder, more functional place.

Your strength lies within… and sometimes, it grows best when shared.

Call Me Courage

Much Love,

Kena🌻