/ˌpandəˈmōnēəm/ noun wild and noisy disorder or confusion; uproar.
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.
~Helen Keller
We can all agree that we are living in character-building times. If there are lessons to be learned, we are picking up the bits and puzzling them together.
I see quotes and insights everyday and know they are well-meaning but, have we reached a point of saturation? Clients tell me that their employees continue to voice their struggle with mental and physical wellness but 'canned' (and oftentimes expensive) solutions fall flat. Perhaps we can begin to find more authentic and sustainable solutions by allowing us to heal in our own way.
In her prescient article from 2019, Laurie Reuttimann encourages us to do some work on our own. "That work is solitary. It’s is quiet. It’s crucial. And the work has to be done alone. It’s done by you. The work of living an authentic life where we are happy with ourselves and treat our bodies and souls with kindness? That doesn’t happen in a mastermind group or with a life coach. It barely happens in therapy. It happens in our hearts."
It's no secret that we cannot give to others, or show up as our best selves, if we are running on an emotional or physical deficit. Carving out time for myself everyday, truly making it a routine that I will adhere to, is hard work. Though, I know this to be true; it's hard but it's worth the pain. When I stretch, meditate, get on my bike, or go for a walk before I login to my workday, I feel balanced and cared-for. What changes would we see if we all cared a bit more for ourselves in order to get out of the panic-survival mode?
With simple changes to our day, we can find ways to remember that our bodies don't last forever and need to be cared for. When we focus on solely our "brain work", without allowing for introspection and relaxation, we forget how to stop working. By turning down the volume of reactive media, inflammatory social media and the soul-sucking hive mindset that has become commonplace in our world, we may just find that we are okay today.
We don't need to be 'fixed' or improved with the latest buzz around wellness; it's been inside of us this whole time.
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