For All the Men. A Tough Love Note on Valentine's Day.

Happy Valentine's Day Rebels,

If you are a man or if you love a man or two, this newsletter is for you.

I'm going to cut straight to the chase, no soft start, no cute story. It's Valentine's Day after all, and I want to give you this loving gift right away.

• 1. Men, you are more than your job.


• 2. Don't wait until retirement to do the things that make you happy.

There are a number of reasons it felt urgent to make that point today. Here they are:

• Tom. When I knew Tom in our corporate days, he was a tightly wound, hilarious leader who loved his family and told epic stories of being at the office on Christmas Eve. He retired a few years ago and was finally working at the beer store and enjoying his adult children. Two years into his retirement, he died suddenly, and we were all crying in church while his children spoke.


• Frank: He retired and finally was taking the master gardening class he could never fit into his schedule. He died before he finished the class.


• Bill: When Bill called me a year ago, going to work made him sick to his stomach. In his mid-60s, he had to drag himself to his job every day and drag himself home with nothing to show for the hours at the office. Rather than doing the work of releasing the past and redefining a broader identity for himself, he decided to double down on his job and continue for 4 more years until he felt he could retire.


• My beloved father-in-law. He was an amazing CFO, loved doing taxes, and served on many boards until Alzheimers robbed him of his ability to crunch numbers and communicate financial strategy. He had no hobbies, and no outside interests, which left him lost.

I can name at least two other men who died within a couple of years of their retirement. My heart breaks every time I hear this story.

And that is why I wanted to send you this Valentine. You are more than your work. Who you are matters. Who you are to your family and friends matters.

If you feel like you have let your friendships go, decide to make some new ones. You deserve to do things you love and that make you happy. You deserve to take care of your body and mind even while you work. And it's ok to love working. I love working. Just don't put off the chance to develop other wonderful parts of yourself until retirement. You are loved.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Christina

P.S. Does your dad, brother, husband, best friend, boss need to hear this message? Forward this email to them. They can join here to learn ways to embrace their happiness.

5 things I want you to know in these tough times

I've struggled with what to write this week. The news has been like drinking from a political firehose. It's hard to keep up.

I wanted to find a brilliant answer for you. A salve that would solve the pain in the world. I haven't found the shiny solution yet. If you spot it, will you let me know?

That said, I have uncovered some truths about Corporate Rebels that I'd like to share. My hope is that they give you hope.

1. Corporate Rebels understand that uncertainty is the only certainty. If you don't know where to put your attention or what to do in the current climate, you are not alone. You don't have to know your final destination in order to take action. (Just like your career.)
2. Corporate Rebels know that change is inevitable, and hard. We are in the midst of significant change. If you have lived through an acquisition, a divorce, or a relocation, you know that change is disruptive and anxiety-producing, even if it's change you wanted.
3. Corporate Rebels are complex thinkers. You see beyond either/or and us/them. You can hold complexity, even things you disagree with, in service of a larger vision. It is going to take creativity and innovation to navigate the divisiveness and pain. We need unique voices right now. Like yours.
4. Corporate Rebels know that how you show up is as important as what you do. Staying silent on important issues at work keeps people unhappy in their jobs. With everything that's going on in the world, it's important not to sit quietly on the sidelines. Some people will march (see the peace dove my children, husband, and I marched under in St. Paul), some write letters, others reach out with compassion to their Muslim neighbors, some pray. Do what you do best. Write. Bake. Reach out. Show up at work with kindness and love. You have tremendous power to make a difference with your gifts from where you are right now.
5. Corporate Rebels know that self care if crucial. In order to be involved in your community, to do your job well, to show up for your family, and to navigate the work that needs to be done, you have to take care of yourself. Maintaining your inner peace and health will ensure peace and health in your outer world, too.

As has been said many times, we're in uncharted waters. It would be lovely if there was a simple solution and a best action. There isn't. And, you have tremendous power to be what you wish to see in the world. Go be that.

With deep respect and love,

Christina

Reaching across the divide

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My friend, Ara Schmidt, created this lawn sign from one of her sidewalk drawings.

It's a weird day here in the USA. You may be celebrating. You may be crying. I'm shaken. Whether you are happy or sad about what happened in our election, the world has been turned upside down.

It's unsettling when the ground you thought you stood on shifts right under your feet.

It's like we all got on a train. We don't know where we're headed. Some of us chose to get on this train and some of us didn't. We all share one fact. The train is moving, and we can't get off.

However, as Corporate Rebels we know a thing or two about compassion, choices, leading in hard times, and what it means to do this life and work thing from a place of authenticity, connection, and knowing that things can be different.

My thinking is foggy, and I'm struggling for words. Here is what I've got:

You don't have to solve everything. You don't even need to be able to see the whole picture clearly - whether that is your work, your life, our nation, or the world.

You do, however, have to decide how you are going to behave and who you are going to be during this seismic shift.

Will you be curious about the people who disagree with you? Will you smile at the teenage girls in headscarves at the mall? Will you be kind to the barista, even if he gets your coffee order wrong? Will you operate in your life from love rather than fear? Will you get about the crucial work that needs to be done right here, right now in your community?

Something important has happened, and it's time for us to be alert. Maybe the solution isn't in our governments or our corporate leaders. Maybe the solution is in each of us.

Your world needs your creativity and love now more than ever.

You are the light. Go be that light in your world today.

Christina

P.S. If you know someone who would like to receive this newsletter, they can sign-up for The Corporate Rebel Video Podcast and Newsletter HERE.

What's the right response to everything that's happening?

Estimated read time: Les than one minute.

It's been avoiding sitting down to write this newsletter. What does someone who writes about work have to say about the tragic events of the past week?

Do you ever feel like things are so big and complex and wonder where to find your contribution? I do, and it exhausts me sometimes. Like today.

I'm going straight to the point.

The human world is driven by two forces, love and fear. Love can feel like the harder option because it requires vulnerability, openness, risk, and courage.

Love is the only option, and love belongs at work.

Here's your challenge. You are a leader. Leaders take responsibility for their worlds. Leaders take care of their people. Go find some people and take care of them. This week put love into your world every day, especially at work.

Here are some suggestions to get you started:

• Bring coffee to your officemates, especially the ones you don't like.
• Let the person in front of you merge into traffic.
• Leave an extra tip for your server.
• Pay for someone's meal at the cafeteria. Even better if it's a stranger.
• Call a colleague you'd honestly rather just email.
• Tell your boss what you appreciate about him/her. Even better, do it in writing.

Each action you take this week, at work and at home, ask yourself if you are coming from love or fear. Then choose love. The impact on the greater world will be tremendous.

In love,

Christina

P.S. If you know someone who would like to receive this newsletter, they can sign-up for The Corporate Rebel Video Podcast and Newsletter HERE.