Be Grateful, Be Brave, PAUSE | August ‘24
It’s August already!
How many of you feel like June and July were a roller coaster with all the recent events in our nation and across the world?
I don’t know about you, but there are days I do not want to open social media apps or look at news for fear of what I may learn next. July felt like a daily disaster with an assassination attempt on one presidential candidate and the exit from the race of another, wild fires raging across the Southwest and hurricanes running up the Gulf of Mexico into the South, and then a massive computer meltdown affecting travel and business.
On a more personal note, one of my best friends, who was born in Bangladesh but raised here in the United States, returned to her nation of origin to visit family for summer vacation and was on the plane as conflict began in the nation’s capitol. The government sent troops into the streets with threats to shoot. The Internet was shut down nationwide, so we had no way to know if she and her family were safe until over a week later.
As someone who flies quite often and hears the pre-flight instructions at least a dozen times a month, I have been feeling like we as a nation (and a world) are like a plane in free-fall.
“If you are traveling with children, put on your air masks first before assisting your children.”
It’s time to put on our air masks.
As I said in a number of speeches in June, I believe our nation is like a plane that is having technical difficulties. The oxygen masks have dropped down from above, and we need to choose to put them on. I also believe we, collectively, can get the plane back upright, but it’s going to take commitment from each one of us to be engaged in healthy ways.
What does that mean in the context of the work I do with schools and fire fighters and government agencies and non-profits and businesses?
With all that is happening around us (especially for those of you about to head back into schools), you as individuals need to make sure you are taking care of your personal needs - eating well, getting good sleep, taking care of your physical and mental health, investing in activities that energized and inspire you - in order to be the person your organization and family needs in this next season.
I am not asking you to do something I am not also practicing myself. I have made a commitment personally to do something each day that feeds my body, mind, and spirit. I am committed to eating well and drinking lots of water, as well as getting at least 8 hours of sleep and, when there are opportunities, trying to grab naps when my body signals exhaustion. I am lifting and running or walking every day. I am taking time to meditate and listen to podcasts or write in a journal for at least 20 minutes per day.
Each of us individually being at our best makes US better. We need you - every single one of you - to be your best self.
Final challenge: as we move through what promises to be a contentious political season, I encourage you to practice the 3 strategies I discuss in every training and speaking session: 1. Be grateful (set your emotional state in a way that leads to a more positive, hopeful attitude); 2. Be brave (stay curious about those who have different beliefs or life experiences, and try to avoid shaming, blaming, and guilting those with different opinions); 3. PAUSE (don’t respond right away to comments or actions that make you upset or frustrated; take a few moments to breathe and gather yourself).
This thing called life that we’re in is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself, and remember, you are not running alone. We are running together - some in front, some beside, some behind. When you’re winded, step aside. Take a breath, and then get back to it. We’ve got this!