A Dose of Inspiration – A Resource and Some Poetry to Lift You Up

“We’re starting to see friction on our teams,” one of my executive coaching clients said this week. She looked exhausted. The initial wave of “we’re in this together” is giving way to stress and burnout in a lot of teams.

It has been about eight weeks since the pandemic “hit” the US. For many of us, it feels a lot longer as we work extended hours at home, and work & personal lives blend. We are yearning for some “normal,” yet it evades us. Exhaustion sets in.

I wanted to share two resources with you.

First, to find renewal tips, listen to this podcast interview with Dr. Richard Boyatzis. He is the author of Helping People Change. In our discussion, he talked about renewal states and the importance of activating the empathic neural network in our brain. This is connected to our rest and relax system. In the podcast, he gives easy and fun tips to renew ourselves and improve immunity. Listen to the 25-minute podcast here.

Second, my husband shared with me this beautiful poem by Kahlil Gibran.

Fear

It is said that before entering the sea
a river trembles with fear.

She looks back at the path she has traveled,
from the peaks of the mountains,
the long winding road crossing forests and villages.

And in front of her,
she sees an ocean so vast,
that to enter
there seems nothing more than to disappear forever.

But there is no other way.
The river can not go back.

Nobody can go back.
To go back is impossible in existence.

The river needs to take the risk
of entering the ocean
because only then will fear disappear,
because that’s where the river will know
it’s not about disappearing into the ocean,
but of becoming the ocean.

This poem so resonates for me in these times. As we yearn to go back to a more certain time, we realize that “to go back is impossible.” As fear arises for me about putting my book in its wobbly state out there, I realize that it will dissipate only as I move toward letting go of my ego and move into finding purpose, contribution, and connection with all.

What does this poem say to you?

Grateful we’re in this together,

P.S. Please share these blog series with others on your teams so together we can grow new capacities to thrive in disruption. You can sign up for the series here. And don’t forget to comment below with your questions and challenges so we can co-create for our community.

This article was written by Henna Inam, C-level executive coach, global speaker, and author of the book Wired for Disruption. She helps leaders grow their agility to be a force for good and thrive in times of change. They create organizations that drive breakthroughs in innovation, growth, and engagement. In roles including Head E-Innovation and Chief Innovation and Marketing Officer, Henna drove transformation throughout her 20-year corporate career as an executive with Fortune 500 companies. Join the thousands who follow her blog here. Connect on Linkedin.