Pondering Big Challenges and Life Lessons

I’m a ponderer. While everyone has already moved on to something else, I’m still thinking about what we were discussing one or two subjects ago. Though it frustrates me sometimes, it is a gift I’ve come to appreciate about myself. My thoughts run deep below the surface. It’s the water I swim in. As we close out 2021, I thought I’d share a few of my musings on challenges and life lessons. Maybe you’ll pause while I catch up.

The last couple years have been challenging. A global pandemic. Social unrest. Environmental disasters. Financial hardship. Disconnectedness and fear. Isolation and uncertainty.

And yet, we’ve all learned we can do hard things. You may have learned things about yourself you may not have known before.

What I’ve learned or been reminded of during this time…

• All people struggle with limiting beliefs, fears, insecurities, and hurts that sometimes cause us to react in unhelpful ways.
• Everyone is just trying to do the best they can with what they’ve got in the moment.
• It’s not about showing the world you’re on the right side of the fence. It’s about truly seeing others, the common humanity you share, and connecting with humility, grace and compassion.
• There’s great value in examining and understanding how your thoughts and emotions impact your actions so you can respond with intention instead of reacting to people and circumstances.
• Powerful conversation isn’t about telling and being right. It’s about asking and listening to understand.
• Being an effective leader isn’t about being the one who holds the power. It’s about empowering others and learning to lead yourself, your life and others with balance, grace, and conviction.
• You don’t need to work longer, harder and smarter to prove your worth and value. You’re already enough. It’s important to acknowledge your burnout and disconnection and reconnect with your whole self and with purpose.
• While you may love to fill your plate full and find purpose in WHAT you’re doing, it’s more important to find purpose in WHY you’re doing it.
• Maybe you can stop pushing your limits and start expanding capacity and resilience.
• There is gratitude and joy in the everyday and the ordinary; the beautiful and the challenging. You just need to look for it.

Where do we go from here?

What do we grab onto from these challenges and life lessons? From the Christian faith tradition, we might consider the Fruits of the Spirit. These are love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

I invite you to consider that in the marketplace, in society as a whole, we might strive to live and lead with these three concepts in mind:

Balance: this has to do with SELF and your presence
Self-awareness, calm, clarity, peace of mind, joy, gratitude

Grace: this has to do with OTHERS (and self too)
Other awareness, shared humanity, kindness, generosity, humbleness, compassion

Conviction: this has to do with taking ACTION
Belief, trust, assurance, confidence, a purpose or why

These are beautiful, honorable ways of being and doing, but if you struggle in any of these areas you’re not alone! We can give grace not only to others but to ourselves as well. As I’ve gone through seasons of life to experience triumph and failure, joy and regret, and contemplated life’s big questions… each new day, each New Year is another opportunity for each one of us to try again; to learn and grow.

Learn it. Apply it.

• What has been your biggest learning during our recent challenges?
• What difference might curiosity and compassionate listening make?
• How can you build capacity and resilience?
• Which concept – Balance, Grace or Conviction – catches your attention as a growing edge?
• What do you want to do with that?