In December of last year, I started writing a book about leading in disruption. I didn’t realize that we would be disrupted in such profound ways.
For the last few weeks as the reality of the pandemic has dawned, I have been in states of fear, anxiety, confusion, contribution, inspiration, lethargy. It’s been a fascinating process to observe my own mind and body reactions…that is when I can get enough awareness to actually observe it vs. being in it.
“Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change” – Stephen Hawking
We are all adapting to change at our own pace. I’m learning that when I’m able to shift my attention from fear and anxiety, I’m able to be in a place of creativity and contribution. That is the place where we can adapt and learn.
Fear is normal. And not always useful.
I’ve been practicing two ways to manage my own fear and anxiety. The first is taking in everything (including the good) which I wrote about yesterday. It’s a way to step back and see the big picture, all of it, including the chirping birds and the meaningful connections.
The second way I manage fear is by befriending my body. This is one of the practices I wrote about in Wired For Authenticity. Here is a great YouTube video that shows four “Fear Melters” developed by friends at the Hendricks Institute (and shared by Dawa Tarchin Phillips). They teach you how to shift from fear to flow. I love the integration of our friends in the ocean in this video.
Experiment with these tools. See which ones work for you. And do share these with those you care about.
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.
