I Lost My Email. Guess What Happened?

Time to read: 15 seconds. Still time to join Rebooting U: 2 seconds

I got a new computer (battery died on old one, blah, blah, blah) and in the transfer of data, my email went insane (that's the technical term) and deleted archived emails.

How many? Don't know.

From whom? Have no idea.

At first I freaked out. I save all those emails for a reason - to reply to people later, as reminders to do something, or to remember something funny or important. I begged my husband tech support team to find and restore what was lost.

Then I realized...

Those emails don't matter.

It's been a few days, and the world still turns. No one has been offended. I have no idea what those emails were about. If they were important, people will email again or I'll remember what I said I'd do. In short: Nothing happened. Losing those emails was a complete non-event.

From this non-event, here are two lessons for you:

1. You think things matter that actually don't. The pandemic taught us that lesson in spades.
2. You can trust yourself to keep track of what's important. The pandemic taught us that lesson, too.

So, consider one thing you think is important that actually isn't. Remove it. It was liberating to have only 5 emails in my inbox for a few hours.

I hope this helps.

Awkward transition...

The second class for Rebooting U is tomorrow at 11:00 CT. You can still join us. Sign up and I'll send you the recording of the first class about Recover: Your Brain on Stress. You can get more information and sign up here.

If you're in the US, have a great holiday weekend.

The Pathway to Ease

Time to read: yup, 5 seconds

Your ability to be with complexity creates ease in your life.

When I first learned this concept, it blew my mind. I always thought that controlling the hell out of everything created ease.

What do you think?

Answering Your Curiosity

Time to read: Less than one minute

You were curious

Hello rebels!

In your responses, a couple of you asked if I would answer the same questions that I asked you. Great idea! If you're interested to know what I'm thinking about and struggling with, keep reading.

If not, go back to your waaaay more interesting email.

I don't mind.

Really, I don't.

Here it goes:

What are you thinking about?

I think a lot about the state of our world and the future of American democracy. I have read more news in the past few months than ever before in my life, and it's simultaneously fascinating and distressing. Most days, I'm hopeful and optimistic. Some days, I feel despair. I can't get enough of The Atlantic.

I think about racial justice and all kinds of justice.

I also think about my children more than they want me to and paint colors for the outside of our house and my garden.

Oh, and I think about food. What's for dinner is frequently the first thought I have in the morning.

What are your current struggles?

I don't struggle as much as I used to which is a good thing since I used to be a master struggler.

That said, I am struggling mightily with school in the fall. No solutions are good solutions and reopening fully (which is what I want) seems impossible. I would give up everything and isolate alone in my room if that meant school could open in the fall.

With everything else, I hold a lot of complexity and a lot of unresolved questions and contradictions. Like:

• How to maintain the march to independence for my teenagers while simultaneously keeping them safe.
• What activities are safe and which ones are not?
• What is my place in the movement toward racial justice? What is the role of my business?
• What's eating my butterfly bushes?
• Is it indulgent to buy a water lily?

Are you working too much? Not enough?

I'm working the perfect amount. The awesome thing about my business is that I LOVE IT and because I'm independent, I can respond to your needs and my own at different times and in different seasons.

What are the unique challenges you're facing in these times?

See the answer to "current struggles." School. I'm having a very hard time letting school go. With all my preaching about "acceptance" and "surrender..." Nope. Not there yet when it comes to giving up school.

And it's hard to know what to say when there are no answers and no one has been down this path before.

How do I make sure my parents are being safe?

What would be helpful?

When I say I love to hear from you, I really mean it. I love to hear what you're thinking, what your world is like, and what's happening in different industries and parts of the globe. So, reach out anytime.

With love,

Christina

P.S. The Rebels at Home Challenge is a fun time. Eight easy challenges over 8 days. It's worth a little slice of your time this summer. Sign up here.

Motivation Low?

Time to read: 1.07 minutes

Hey Rebels,

Last week, we talked about over-performance as a response to stress.

Today is "help, I can't get motivated" day.

We've established that we're living in stressful times. People have different responses to stress. That may even be true for the individuals who live under your roof. (Hello potential for conflict and more stress.) Or you may over-perform in some situations and under-perform in others. No judgment.

Uncertainty breeds stress, and stress breeds under-performance. (It also breeds over-performance which was the subject last week.)

Do these symptoms of under-performing feel familiar?

• Hiding
• Avoiding
• Becoming overwhelmed and freezing
• Numbing with substances, video games, Netflix
• Worried you'll make a mistake or say the wrong thing so you don't say or do anything at all
• Avoiding risks
• Not taking time for fun and joy

You can take simple steps to bust out of under-performing. Here are a few:

• Recognize when you have crossed the line from healthy rest and recuperation to hiding and avoiding. (Hint: Resting starts to become all night Netflix marathons.)
• Choose to rest and recharge. Sometimes a Netflix marathon is just what the doctor ordered. Make sure it's a choice, not a chance to hide.
• Take risks. Start small. Start with something that feels relatively easy and work up to bigger risks over time.
• Elevate the meaning and importance of your work. Focus on the big picture rather than the day-to-day details. When you are hooked into the importance of your work, it's easier to find motivation. (Remember: don't get seduced that "meaning" at work has to be grand like solving world hunger. Meaning can be as simple as creating something beautiful, the satisfaction of being part of a team, completing something, or helping your colleagues.)
• Get into action. Action breeds more action so take one small step. Do something that helps you move forward.

Under-performing holds you back from doing the work you are meant to do. We need you to show up and bring your gifts. It's going to take every single one of us to create the world we want.

I hope this helps.

With love,

Christina

P.S. Invite your friends and colleagues to join the fun by subscribing to the Corporate Rebel newsletter. Simply forward this blog and they can join here.