#4 Postcards from Quarantine: Be of Alert and Mindful Perspective
During this extraordinary time while self-distancing and WFHing, we want to capture the voices around our community in a singular spot.
This quarantine experience has inspired my creative writing muscle, I am being motivated to share my thoughts and emotions to encapsulate this moment and offer encouragement for what’s next.
I will publish blogs as I am stirred to put thought on paper and invite you to read and share them. But it’s not just about me, our social media feeds are full of many voices being published but I can’t keep up.
We invite you to publish your voices here on BrightSpot as a repository of hope. We are looking for encouraging messages and stories to build us up as we seek to rise in these uncertain times.
Simply contact us through our “Contact Form” and let us know you’re interested and we will communicate with you directly. We look forward to hearing from you.
April 21, 2020
Be of Alert and Mindful Perspective
When I was asked by a colleague “how am I doing?” I answered I feel like I am studying for a college exam but the material keeps changing from one day to the other. It’s as if I study all day and wake up the next day to find the material changed. This is an exaggeration however the feeling of being behind or not knowing the answers gnaws at my heels. While managing life in this pandemic, I feel I should be moving forward yet the direction is unclear.
I am a novice backpacker and have completed a few backcountry hikes in the Eastern Sierras. Hiking has rules, preparedness and safety are primary. The three vital needs are water, shelter, and food; the others are map, compass, and first aid. The list of items to pack goes on from there and opinions will vary on priorities. The point being when you pack to hike for days in the wilderness you prepare for what is needed, minimally, yet plan for worst case scenarios.
One of those worse case scenarios in backpacking is getting lost in the wilderness. The rule for when we realize we are lost is to stop and be still. If we panic, our brain goes into primal fight and flight mode which releases adrenaline and cortisol which quickens our heartrate and tempers our bodily functions. We get tunnel vision and equally narrow thought processes hence the term “not thinking clearly.” We need to fight the urge to panic, take a deep breath and be still. Allow our bodies and minds to gain perspective of our current situation and to respond appropriately.
It’s fair to say that we all (around the world) ran into the wilderness with the Pandemic, with little preparedness. It is astonishing to think the “collective we” truly is people all over the world and not an exaggeration. When I look at the American business environment, most of us rapidly ran into the wilderness and are now getting our bearings to this new reality. I speak with clients and colleagues weekly and we’re all in the same position…we’re standing still and trying to find our true north. Finding true north in the backcountry allows us to orient ourselves and, based upon the environment we are standing, assess the appropriate direction to get on path to lead ourselves out of the woods.
This pandemic is a humanitarian crisis, on a multitude of levels, not seen before in modern times. To find true north is to envision what the new normal will be like and how we will adjust. As business leaders, when we start moving to find our path forward, it is essential to regularly check our compass to assure we’re not walking in circles. We must be methodical in planning, preparing, and communicating with our teams, gain outside perspective to calibrate our plans. The saying one degree off north is ever true when lost because what might be on path initially can very quickly go off path further and further with every step. Therefore as leaders, we cannot pretend to have all the answers and must rely on our teams and peers to keep our bearings.
This is a time for courage and encouragement and to be of alert and mindful perspective. To be aware of our strengths and weaknesses and to surround ourselves with others who complement our blind spots. To calibrate regularly and make decisions based upon the best information we have at the time and to be nimble when we find ourselves off course. Surrender any notion to the lie you must be right, rather, heed the wisdom that we will lead ourselves out of the wilderness one step and one day at a time…no other expectation matters other than keeping the vision of true north.