Letter from John (January 2021 Newsletter)

Like many of you, I had thoughts of leaping boldly into 2021, and I saw the turning of the calendar as an important reset moment.

Obviously, the world has other plans for us.

We still have opportunities to reset. There is a continued need to assess and adapt. And we can't afford to dawdle, and let these important choices pass us by.

That said, many of us are starting the year with a variable throttle as we try to make sense of the busy, and confusing, intersection where pandemic, vaccine, economic recovery, and political uncertainty meet. The 14th of January is, I'll wryly suggest, the 380th day of 2020.

It's at times like this that we all need clarity, empathy, and purpose.

  • The clarity we need is likely different from the clarity we'd like to have, or to provide to others: Despite all of the continued churn in the world around us, what is it that our organization must do well in the coming weeks and months? How do we strengthen our connection as as team? How do I sustain my energy and passion, find time to recharge or decompress, balance the demands of those around me?

  • The empathy we need is both empathy given, and empathy received. What are the ways in which we can, and should, slow down to connect with our teammates, our clients, on a personal or emotional level? How do we ask or better intuit what people need to feel centered and healthy? And, perhaps most importantly, how do we periodically scan ourselves and reflect on what we need to stay healthy, physically and emotionally? (And to ask others to support us where they can!)

  • The purpose we need creates the fuel for everything else. Why are we waking up each morning and investing our energy in our work, our families, our community? How can we be more intentional and oriented around those things that matter most to us? How do we help those around us orient toward something bigger, and more essential?

Surprisingly, none of these things emerge from whole cloth. They take intention. And they can benefit from inviting others to collaborate, share, or support us in these spaces.

They also require action. If not now, then when? The current environment absolutely cries out for clarity, empathy and purpose, and it is up to each of us to not just find these things within ourselves but to create space and support for those we support and care for to create them with us.

As we move through the coming days and weeks, I am sure we will each encounter many difficult moments around which we have little control. What we do have control over, as you well know, are our choices, our decisions, and our mindset. We have control over our orientation, and how we balance that orientation in service to self and in service to others.

It is, quite honestly, my most essential work right now. It is, quite possibly, your most essential work, as well.

Stay healthy, stay connected with those who matter most to you, and wash your hands.

-- John