Be Who You Are

As we move further and further into a post pandemic world where fundamental shifts continue to impact how we work and live, I believe we encounter a unique choice. We can seek to re-create the world as we knew it before the pandemic, or we can move forward into this unknown period and create a new way of living and working. The difficulty is that if we choose to move forward, we have to confront our fear of the unknown, and our fear of the dynamic and on-going changes that come with it. 

One of our first steps when confronting our fear of the unknown is to be kind to ourself, and to choose to be who we are even if we know we are imperfect and flawed. Life comes with great joys and great suffering. All of us, on any given day, are doing the best we can with the resources and tools that we have. Some days this is incredible and some days we struggle mightily. But which ever day it ends up being, being kind and respectful is a good choice. 

Next, when we choose to the hold the quiet, and to build connections with others on multiple levels, the outcome is powerful, namely a sense of belonging. As Brene’ Brown in her book, Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience (Random House, 2021), reminds us: “True belonging is the spiritual practice of believing in and belonging to yourself so deeply that you can share your most authentic self with the world and find sacredness in both being a part of something and standing alone in the wilderness. True belong doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.”

And in the end, that is the challenge for all of us who choose the path of regenerative leadership in a post pandemic world. We do not need to change who we are to fit in. Instead, we need to embrace who we are. We need to be who we are so we can connect and belong to ourself and others. We need to create “life-affirming conditions.” We also need to lead, and we need to maintain our integrity in the process. For when we do this in conjunction with others, we create work that matters, and a life that matters. In short, we create opportunities for everyone to work with us in meaningful and healthy ways so we all can move forward together. 

Geery Howe, M.A. Executive Coach in Leadership, Strategic Planning, and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257