Right now, things are changing so fast and people all over the world are struggling. And as more and more people struggle, things change faster and faster.
As an executive coach and as a member of the global community, it hurts when I see and hear of people struggling. Given current events, we can control so few things in our lives. It is as if the world is caught between what was and what will be. But we are not completely sure what the new beginning will look or feel like on the other side.
And in this massive global level transition, I know that I am suppose to accept this struggling. I know that the only way to deal with this is by changing myself and my mindset. Still, even with this realization, I struggle with all of the struggling.
I think that one of the things I struggle with the most is coronavirus-inspired productivity pressure. I feel like I am suppose to handle all of this, get lots of things done on time, and be creative. Instead, I, like many of you, have moments when I barely have the bandwidth for more. Often, I am just working on keeping up with today.
It was during one of those very busy days of coping that I realized I was living the Red Queen Principle, namely attempting to run faster and faster to just keep up with where I currently was. And in all my running, I kept pushing myself to operate at the normal level of productivity before COVID-19. But these days are not normal, and with all my adapting, adjusting and attempting to be productive, I have moments when I just feel exhausted. I feel worn by the endless unknowns, and the multiple unpredictable outcomes.
Borrowing a term from the US military, we all are living in a VUCA environment, namely one that is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. Instability is chronic, and uncertainty feels like it is permanent. Change is accelerating at different paces all over the country and disruption is the constant. We can not predict nor govern most events. Some days, things just don’t make sense.
Yet, on one level, we know there will be a day in the future when the global pandemic will be over. Then, we will all leave our homes, hug our friends and families, and celebrate. There will be concerts and conferences. There will be gatherings to worship together and funerals to grieve all of the people we have lost. We will hold hands again with our neighbors and our community, and be grateful that we survived.
But that day is in the future. Right now, I need to get through this day, this week, and this month. Here is a quote by Brene Brown, PhD, LMSW, from her book, Rising Strong: The Reckoning. The Rumble. The Revolution (Spiegel & Grau, 2015), to help us all remember how to do that:
“We can’t be brave in the big world without at least one small safe space to work through our fears and falls.”
Our work today is to create that small safe space for ourselves, and to be supportive of others who are doing likewise. When we can be that small safe place for each other, we will transform our capacity to handle all that is happening now and in the future.
So, this week make one small step in the direction of starting that level of work. Your are worth it. And, along the way, stay healthy, stay safe and be strong. I look forward to seeing you on the other side.
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