King Arthur had the Knights of the Round Table.

Robin Hood had the Merry Men.

The POTUS has the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The Pope has the College of Cardinals.

Businesses, organizations, churches, and non-profits all around the world have boards, committees and teams advising them.

This theme is because as a society we widely acknowledge that multiple minds are better than one.

Personally, I feel that this applies to individuals as well as to countries, businesses and large organizations.

When we are in the midst of life, we cannot always see the potential outcome as clearly as we would like.  We need help.  We need our own council of advisors.  We need people we can trust, who have our best interest at heart, and are willing to speak the hard truths to us.

I would love nothing more than to meet together on a regular basis with the people who make up mine, but in our current situations that is not always possible.

So we rely on group chats.  While some group chats can be torture, and we beg for ways to leave them, others can be a lifeblood of sorts.

We need these people.  I need these people.  At times the topics consist of memes, joking, and nonsense.  Other times, they provide information such as recipes and information on events.

Then there are the times they provide us with real, meaningful guidance.  The people who are listed on the chat list are people whose opinions are well thought out, rational, and most importantly, typically a really smart answer.

These people are a resource when I lose focus, they help push me towards my goals.  Even if their words may sting, I know they believe in me, my vision, and the steps it will take to get there.

One of these such councils includes three other women and me.  They represent different ages, stages in life, personalities, backgrounds, and opinions.  One is quick with humor in most situations and helps provide some levity.  One sees things from an emotional standpoint and forces us to think of how choices will affect others.  The third one tends to weigh in as the voice of reason, with her opinions being based on logic.  (I am not sure what they would categorize me as, though I call myself blessed/lucky to have them as friends.)

All three cross these lines, offering humor, insight, and logic.  They help me to process through various parts of life that can be confusing.  Hopefully, I am able to offer the same support for them.

The idea of a support system may sound new-age to some, but is actually as old as time, even scripture tells us of the value of a “multitude of counselors.”

I am not sure how other people go through life without a council.  I need mine.