Greetings from the land of quarantine.
I want to take a moment to connect with you all as we adjust to this new reality. Yes, I look forward to the day when every waking moment doesn’t feel consumed consciously or unconsciously by the COVID-19 virus, but today (and every day) it’s OK to honor what is on our minds and our hearts.
Like many of you, the past few weeks have been filled with uncertainty. What do we need to do to make sure our family and loved ones stay safe? What do Nick and I need to do to stay safe? How do I ensure we sustain the health of the business to continue supporting the work we believe is so important?
Uncertainty can be exhausting.
As my good friend and fellow speaker Rachel Sheerin reminds me, “Fear hates focus”.
Today I want to focus on things I am certain of:
We are beautifully adaptive
We as humans, are still here because we are adaptive. We’ve evolved. We’ve experimented. Who you are today is not who you were yesterday and not who you will become tomorrow. It is in our DNA to evolve. It’s just not every day we are all being asked to adjust in the same way. Which makes this feel overwhelming, and if you can get enough distance from it, also beautiful.
Awareness can be amazing and exhausting
We are all living in a state of constant awareness. Our brains haven’t had the beautiful stretches of autopilot it once relished. And so, every part of our body feels awake in a way we don’t always experience. It’s amazing because I promise you are seeing your world through new eyes, but it’s also exhausting. Don’t forget to give that brain a break from time to time, it’s working extra hard right now.
Necessity is the mother of invention
I was talking to a client who mentioned he felt like an astronaut on the Apollo 13 mission, having to improvise in new and unexpected ways. Unbelievable expansion can happen when the constraints feel so tight. The creativity has surged on the team about how we can continue to support people. My family is having virtual game dates to stay connected. We are connecting and creating in ways we never would have without these constraints.
Powerful transformation comes from heat
When I talk about leading change, I use the analogy of popcorn which feels appropriate now. A kernel of corn will remain a kernel of corn if the oil it sits in remains at room temperature. It transforms only when the oil is heated. But it will burn if it is heated too much. Our heat is turning up and we will transform into something different as individuals, as families, and as a community. Let’s be sure to take care of all those things so we don’t get burned in the process.
Finally, I know that we will get through this because we will do it together, even if at a distance. You are not alone and if you need to be reminded or want to connect please reach out. As I shared during our Fireside Chat this week, “We can survive alone, but we will thrive together”.
