Compassion, Compassion, Compassion – Last week we discussed that Gallup’s research indicates our employees need Trust, Compassion, Stability and Hope from their leaders more than ever right now. Empathy arises when we witness another’s suffering and we connect with it inside ourselves, we recognize and resonate with another’s emotions; our heart understands. Compassion is empathy in action – it’s an extension from our heart into an outward intention to help. To bring more compassion forth this week I invite you to build a habit of asking yourself one simple question whenever you are talking to someone: what might I do that could be of benefit to this person? It may be just stopping for a moment to ask, “how are you doing, really?" Or maybe it's an offer - "would a day, or an afternoon, off this week give you a little more breathing room?" Let your heart speak each and every time you talk to someone this week. 7 Practices to Cultivate more Compassion
Mindfulness – It’s easier than ever to become distracted and get swept into a wave, or sometimes a tsunami, of negative thinking. We have hourly COVID19 updates dinging on our phones, emergency response meetings to attend, and some of us may even be working in response centers where our job is to disseminate information to others. Though I’ve never been a big fan of the news, I find myself compelled to check it numerous times a day as if I’ll see something that will release me from this feeling of not knowing. That’s my brain trying to do its job to protect me, help me, be a good friend, but it’s not helpful. The best thing we can do for our brain in this time is to practice mindfulness. Allowing ourselves to focus solely on where we are in this moment, what we can see right in front of us, what we can sense with our physical awareness, gets us grounded and in a frame of mind that is ready to cope with whatever comes next. As my friend Phil likes to point out, “That way (behind me) is sorry, that way (in front of me) is worry, right here (points at feet) is the now, it’s all I really have any control over.” Here are a couple of resources to access practice around mindfulness. Resilience and Mindfulness for Challenging Times; 21-day Meditation – Oprah/Deepak
Collaboration in Action – We’ve been hunkered down a while now and as we move through the phases of William Bridges Transitions – the ending, the neutral zone, the new beginning – the neutral zone is where many of us find ourselves hanging out right now. It’s fraught with confusion, cloudiness, unknowns, and continued chaos. Like any lucky penny we find, there is another side as well. That is where creativity, innovation, ingenuity lie in waiting. If you’re ready for some inspiration, there are thought provoking examples of collaboration in action all over YouTube. One of my favorites is John Krazinski’s SGN Network: it’s uplifting for your heart and offers great collaborative work bringing together the strengths of his colleagues and friends. Phil has offered a few of his other favorites as well: Ode To Joy performed by the Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest or members of the Paris Opera Ballet performing from home.
Please let us know if you find any of these to be helpful and share how you put them into practice. Also, if you have a tip to offer, please let us know and we will include it in a future email or video.
We wish for you to find your special ways to thrive through this unprecedented time.
May You Be Well –
