As I reach out to friends, family, colleagues, and clients I see how badly we all long for deep connection.
Being unable to hug and hold sometimes our own children and loved ones force us to open our hearts in new ways. We are learning a new language, a new way of communicating love without the benefit of physical closeness and touch.
This massive shift in the way we connect in our everyday lives impacts each of us in ways that we could never have imagined three months ago. Even less… There is a new meaning to the idea of boundaries.
Not only must we learn new skills and ways of being, ways of communicating in our relationships, we must also, perhaps most importantly learn to rise in our personal leadership.
How we show up in our lives every day and moment-to-moment impacts how we feel internally as we move through the day and ultimately our capacity for resiliency.
With all of my many years of training as a clinical psychologist and leadership coach, I can tell you that I’ve come undone a few times with the virus—as I’ve experienced personal losses and losses from our collective communities.
My take on this is that coming undone periodically is okay, even good for the soul, but staying in those scary places for long is not.
During this pandemic, we need to choose to be strong for ourselves and for each other—occasional bouts of darkness notwithstanding.
The question is are you/we tapping into inner resources and creativity or caving into fear and anxiety?
Personal leadership is not about being fearless—it’s about experiencing one’s vulnerabilities and summoning the courage to show up and do whatever must be done for ourselves, our loved ones and beyond.
We stand alone but together. Each one of us is in charge of our psyches and the way we navigate through the day.
Sharing the stark reality of the Coronavirus means paying heed to all the warnings and new rituals we must now claim as our own.
Now is our time to reflect upon what matters the most in our heart of hearts.
An epic adjustment or realignment is happening across the globe. We will emerge with new norms whether we like it or not. Life as we know it shifting before our eyes.
The question is how are you choosing to show up in your life?
