Time to read: still 5 seconds
If you feel helpless and angry, do one thing.
As always, I love to hear from you.
A Lesson In Uncertainty: 4 Principles to Live By
Time to read: 45 seconds
Election Judge! Election Queen!
In the wake of Tuesday's election, no matter who you support, we all continue to live in uncertainty. Coronavirus has left us in uncertainty. The economic down turn stokes uncertainty. I met with a corporate group today, and even in our daily lives, things like management changes and college applications leave us in uncertainty.
People tell me they're done with uncertainty. Exhausted. Over it. And it seems like 2020 is determined to hammer home the lesson of learning to live, love and thrive in the face of uncertainty.
Here are four principles to help you live and thrive in uncertainty today and forever:
- Accept. Suffering comes from resisting your circumstances, not from the circumstances themselves. So, even in the face of outcomes you don't like, the first step is accept them. (Not the same thing as complacency or disengagement).
- Honor your emotions. Feel whatever you feel - joy, grief, sadness, inspiration, anxiety, anger. When you experience your emotions for yourself, they will not leak out in your relationships.
- Build your foundation. You choose your foundation based on your integrity, values, and ways of being. No candidate, job, promotion, raise, child, or even the resolution to the pandemic will provide your foundation. You are the thing you've been looking for.
- Put uncertainty into a bigger context - perhaps the context of history or spirituality or human evolution. Looking at a 30,000 foot level opens new possibilities and allows you to see what's happening now in a larger frame.
That's what I've got today at a challenging point in our history as a nation.
I hope this helps. Reach out anytime. I always love to hear from you.
Be well.
Christina
What Should You Do In the Face of the Unknown?
Time to read: 1.15 minutes
This is my pantry. When things are out of control, I do food.
It's been a weird week.
That is the understatement of the century.
You're glued to the news. You wake up to new information each day. Guidelines and recommendations change minute to minute. Kids are home from school. You're working from home. It's confusing and stressful.
I've found it hard to know what to do or how to be.
Daily life has been stripped of all activity which brings us back to basics.
Here are four bedrock basics that provide a firm foundation when the world has gone haywire. I return to them again and again. I hope they give you comfort as this pandemic unfolds.
- Connect. Most of you are working from home which can be isolating and lonely. Starting Thursday March 19, I'm hosting a daily call at 9:00 CT for 30 minutes so you have a place to touch base, ground, set intentions and connect with others. Sign up once and come whenever you can M-F through at least March 27. It's free. Sign up here.
Please share this opportunity to connect with your friends and colleagues, especially people who live alone. - Be compassionate. There is and will be suffering and hardship. Your compassion and friendship matter when others are in pain. Be there for your friends and those you don't even know because that's who you are, and it's the right thing to do.
- Be of service: In the face of interruption like a worldwide pandemic, gaps become visible. YOU can fill these gaps and find ways to be of service. Look for opportunities to step in.
- Find ways to leverage your super powers. Find new ways to use your expertise. Offer your social media skills to help colleagues stay connected. Use your project management experience to help your department streamline processes when you're all at a distance. Think about skills that might not seem obvious.
Connection is what I do. So, please come connect with me and others every morning at 9:00 CT. Join here.
In the midst of crisis, interruption and change, you matter! You have the power to make a big difference. Find your spot to serve.
With rebel love,
Christina
P.S. Love the Corporate Rebel? Invite your friends to join. They can sign up for this newsletter here.
It's Guilt Week!
Time to read: Less than 2. 5 minutes
Guilty Dog
Last week, I promised you that we would deal with false emotions for the month of February.
Today is GUILT day! Yaaaaaaay!
You know guilt. You feel guilty when you don't call your mother enough. You feel guilty when you say, "let's get together for lunch," and then you never call. You feel guilty when you say no to a project, and it lands on your colleague's plate.
Like overwhelm from last week, guilt is a false emotion.
I'm going to give it to you straight.
Guilt is a shield you put up to make yourself feel like you're doing something when you aren't. If you feel guilty about not visiting your parents more often, then you're doing something about not visiting them, right?
Nope.
Nice try.
Like all false emotions, look underneath to see what's really going on.
- Identify your actual feelings. Hint: Those will be the uncomfortable feelings you are trying to avoid. Under guilt is typically remorse or anger.
- Feel the feelings. I'll say this every week. Feel the remorse or anger so you can clear the path, let the guilt go, and get clear about the truth in your situation.
- Take action from the truth. Once you feel the remorse or anger, you can decide if you want to visit your parents or invite that friend to lunch or clean things up with your colleague who got the project. You'll be clear.
Here's an example so you can see how this works: Let's say you never get together with some old friends, and you feel guilty every time you say no to their invitations. First, identify your true feelings. You might feel remorse that you actually don't want to get together with these friends anymore. Or remorse that you've grown apart from them as your lives have taken different directions. Allow yourself your sadness, loss and remorse.
Once you've cleared the feelings, then you can decide what to do. Maybe it's time to say goodbye. Maybe you need to redesign your relationship with them. Now that you have a baby, you're just not interested in hanging out at the bar anymore. Perhaps there's a new way to hang out together. Maybe there's one person you want to see and you're done with the others. Double down on that one friendship instead.
See how this works?
Coming soon: blame and self-pity.
So fun.
Remember: Getting honest with yourself about the shield of false emotions will liberate you! It's worth the effort to build your awareness and feel your feelings.
It's an honor to be in your in-box each week. Have a great weekend!
With rebel love,
Christina
P.S. Know someone who suffers from guilt? Oh yes. This is a popular one. Forward this newsletter them. They can sign up to join us here.
P.P.S. January and February are the perfect time to review 2019 and plan for 2020. Reach out if you'd like to explore an intentional plan for 2020.