Given what we have experienced the last two years, we all recognize that the recovery process from a global pandemic is not a linear journey. It has it’s ups, and it’s down. Some days, we feel stuck in a never ending trough of chaos. Still, there are moments of clarity and connection in the midst of it that give us hope for a new and better future.
When I think about those special moments, I am reminded of something Ron Heifetz, Alexander Glasgow, and Marty Linsky wrote in their excellent article called “Leadership in a (Permanent) Crisis” from the July-August 2009 issue of the the Harvard Business Review. As they explain, “find sanctuaries where you can reflect on events and regain perspective.” I like this short statement because they recognize that recovery revolves around two things, finding safe space and finding safe people. I particularly like the use of the word “sanctuary.”
The dictionary defines sanctuary as a place of refuge, safety or rest, a holy or sacred place, a building or room for religious worship, or a place that provides safety or protection. The holistic nature of this definition is uplifting and helpful.
The two big questions this week are the following:
Do you remember places you have visited in your life journey that have felt sacred?
Are you in touch with similar places in your life journey now?
In my life journey, I have found sanctuary in a clearing in the woods, a monastery in Vermont, a stone overhang in the southwest desert when hiking with our oldest son and his wife, and in numerous churches, cathedrals and Quaker meeting houses. Each of these places had a special spirit to them. It was not just the words that were spoken in these place as much as the gathered feeling to the space and the people who came together within it.
And when that gathered feeling happened within these sanctuaries, we sat in silence. We, individually and collectively, reflected and regained perspective. This happened because we practiced being still, not doing still. It began by “taking our foot off the accelerator” and giving ourselves permission to rest, reflect and recover. We unplugged and sought mental stillness.
This week, answer the above questions. Then, give yourself permission to find safe spaces and safe people.
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