Powerful Wisdom From the CR Pop-Up Cafe

Time to read: Time for a few more words. 45 second read.

There was a wealth of wisdom in last week's Corporate Rebel Pop-up Cafe. We talked about recovery and healing. The conversation was so good, I wanted to share it with you.

We've lived through a lot for the past few years, months and weeks. I was consulting with my favorite therapist yesterday and he said, "we are in a 2nd pandemic of mental health issues." Teens and young adults are collapsing. Adults are exhausted. I see it in my coaching clients. Therapists are full. You hear the call for healing on a national and personal level, but what does that mean for you?

The hive on the Corporate Rebel Pop-up Cafe shared what they know about recovery and healing from the challenging times in their lives. Here is their wisdom for you:

• Time: You have to give yourself time to recover and time to heal.
• The basics: Sleep, nutrition, movement, and quiet time (maybe meditation) are all crucial to recovery and healing.
• Individuality: Healing is an individual process. What works for you will be different than what works for your best friend.
• Feelings: You gotta feel 'em. Without drama or story. Simply feel your feelings. Even the despair.
• Compassion: Mostly for yourself. Be where you are without judgment or criticism that you "should" be doing better or "should" be farther along.
• Connection: Connect with others. Recovery and healing is better in relationship.
• Responsibility: You have choices. You choose your path and how you will treat others and yourself as you recover and heal: with anger? with love? with violence? with patience? You choose when to get help.
• Celebration: Celebrate your progress. Yesterday, I put on a dress. I noticed when I drove my car, I was focused in a way I haven't been for months. Those small wins are a cause for big celebration!

I'll put one final thought here: The two important first steps in recovery and healing are knowing that you need it, and giving yourself permission to put your energy toward healing, which can mean going quiet for a while or lowering the bar on "accomplishment" and "success," whatever those mean anyway.

I'd love to hear your wisdom about healing. Or your questions. Please email me and tell me what you're thinking. I always love hearing from you.

Not sure yet when the next Corporate Rebel Pop-up Cafe will be. Watch for it. I hope you can join. The conversations are always amazing and people leave feeling uplifted and calm.

OMG! Today Deserves More Than One Sentence

I'm breaking from my one-sentence commitment because the past 24 hours warrant more than three words.

Like all of you, I watched the news in horror last night.

The TV news was blaring as I made shepherd's pie for my family. The electoral college vote resumed while I was in a virtual college counseling meeting for my high school junior. I caught up on the news before retiring to bed at 10:00.

It's a weird juxtaposition to be eating salad while members of congress are swept out of their chamber to undisclosed locations.

This morning, I walked my dogs, listened to news podcasts and thought about what to say. Three words came to mind:

1. Attention: Pay attention. Witness what is happening. Let your emotions move through you. Last night, I wanted to eat bread and ice-cream and disappear. Numbing is not the answer. Keep your eyes open. Stay awake and conscious. See the world out there and yourself in here.
2. Equanimity: Equanimity is the state of mental calm and a strong core, even in the face of extreme difficulty. In my morning meditation today, our teacher talked about "strong back, soft front," the combination of equanimity and compassion. Find your inner calm in the midst of the chaos. Your world needs your steady presence.
3. Routine: Daily life must continue. You are a powerful human. You can handle complexity. You can do hard things. You can still eat salad and walk your dog. Routine brings comfort and like the United States Congress who got back to work within hours of personal terror, routines and rituals mean something. You can stand on the bedrock of your routines when your inner and outer world feel shaky.

I certainly don't profess to have all the answer in the midst of a complicated and painful situation.

And, I hope this is helpful.

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:

1. 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).
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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

The Who's Down in Whoville Like Christmas A Lot... What?!

Time to read: 46 seconds

I know this is a Christmas show. Bear with me. I'm making a point.

It's hard to know what to say during this pandemic, the appropriate balance of acknowledging the pain and devastation and shining light in the darkness. Today takes you toward light with my favorite cartoon.

The Grinch is my #1 favorite show of all time. When I was in second grade, I painted the Grinch on the library wall at my school. I've watched the show every Christmas for 52 years (assuming I watched it as a baby which is doubtful given my organic-food-limited-TV-no-sugar-1970s parents).

Anyway, the whole point of the Grinch is that this dude called the Grinch steals all the trappings of Christmas from the happy little Who's. When they arise on Christmas morning, everything is gone - food, toys, trees, decorations. The Grinch expects that he has crushed their spirits and listens to hear their cries of anguish.

And what do the Who's do?

They sing.

They stand in a circle and sing. This story speaks to the power of the Who human spirit. The message: your spirt is stronger than the trappings of your life.

In this time when you have been stripped of all the features of your life - volunteer activities, social events, shopping, maybe work, school, even planning for the future, your spirit remains powerful. Your spirit is never for sale, and it can't be compromised.

So, today, I wish you confidence of spirit. You are stronger than the circumstances that surround you. Lean into that spirit to find what you need.

Then sing.

I hope this helps.

Christina

P.S. I wanted to make sure you see the free resources I've created to help you navigate these challenging times. Please pass them around to your people.

1. The Corporate Rebel Daily: We're in the 4th week of meeting every morning at 9:00 CT, M-F. A vibrant community shows up each day, and people report feeling uplifted, connected, and calm. You only have to join once, and then come whenever you can. Bathrobes and hoodies welcome. Sign up to get the Zoom link here.

2. Rebels at Home Challenge: This challenge is a series of eight 3-minute daily video exercises to uplift you and help you find your place in this global pandemic. And it will give you something new to talk about at your next Zoom happy hour. Sign up here.

3. The Unconventional Guide to Working from Home: This is a downloadable pdf of practical tips and big picture strategies to help you be efficient, focused and effective at home. Click to download the pdf here.

Holy Chaos, Batman! 3 Things You Can Do Now

Time to read: One minute. You can still join the CR Roundtable here. (It's free!)

Bottom line: This Friday on the Corporate Rebel Roundtable we are talking about surviving and thriving in chaos.

I had plans. You had plans. My family was supposed to be on a plane to Europe for spring break. Airports are in chaos. Conferences are cancelled. Work from home? Stockpile toilet paper? Are you confused about where to be or what to do?

In these unprecedented and chaotic times, here are four things you can do to help yourself feel calm and centered so you can proceed forward.

1. Know yourself. I am comfortable with a high level of risk. If I'm going to be exposed to this virus, let it be at a waffle stand in Amsterdam instead of the Mall of America. I will always trade risk for experience. Others cancelled vacations to California a week ago. Make choices based on your comfort level and be ok that you know what you need better than anyone else.
2. Keep your knees soft just like you would on a topsy turvy boat or the train at the airport. (Hello, subway surfing!) The situation is changing minute-to-minute. You have to be ready to flex and pivot at a moment's notice. Don't get attached to any particular plan.
3. Stay present. Focus on the things right in front of you. Your kids still have tests (if they're still in school). You still have to eat. I have dentist appointments and hockey. You're trying to understand your options and make decisions. Worrying about next week or even tomorrow is pointless as you don't know what will be true tomorrow.
4. Connect. With your friends, your family, yourself. Stay connected to your human family. We're all in this boat together. It's time to come together, not to point fingers, blame, and stir fear. One way to connect is at the Corporate Rebel Roundtable on Friday.

As a coach, you come to me when you feel uncertain: when rumors of layoffs start to swirl or you get a less-than-awesome performance appraisal or you want to change directions in your career or get back into the world of work after a break. The virus is just one of many possible disruptions to your plans. The lessons you learn from this charged time have the potential to be far-reaching and life changing (in good ways).

This Friday on the Corporate Rebel Roundtable we are going to talk about not just surviving but thriving in times of uncertainty. Let's gather together during this time of chaos.

I'd love to see you there!

Please sign up to join me live on Friday March 13 at 11:00am CT for a rich and meaningful conversation about work. Join here.

Please share this link with your friends, colleagues, and business partners. Everyone is welcome!

I can't wait to talk with you live.

Wash your hands.

Christina

My Moth Story - Finally!

Time to read: 30 seconds. If you listen to my story on the Moth, 4 minutes and 53 seconds.

Remember this?

Hey Rebels!

My Moth story is finally ready for prime time! Beyond a small handful of family and a couple of friends, you are the first people to see it.

Besides being fun, why does this Moth story matter to you? Here's why:

Getting on that stage...

• is a tale of triumph over fear.
• demonstrates that you can choose how you feel. (i.e. I chose fun and excitement over terror.)
• shows that it's possible to step away from the need to prove yourself and still get amazing results. In fact, you will get better results with less energy and more calm.
• proves that you can do new things. New hard things. New scary things.

Doing this story was one of the most courageous and sublime experiences of my life and sharing it with you feels tender and vulnerable. I'm glad we've built the kind of relationship over the years that makes sharing something like this possible.

So, if this Moth story is a metaphor for your triumph over fear, what will you do?

Enjoy it here!

Email me and tell me all about it. I love to hear from you.

With Rebel Love,

Christina

P.S. Feel free to pass the story around to any of your friends you think would enjoy it.

Are You Hijacked By BS?

Time to read: 1.5 minutes. 2.5 minutes if you read all the way to the signature.

Hey Rebels!

It’s Anne!

I'm doing a dance of joy to be here with you today. Hooray!

When Christina and I held our Quiet the Noise Challenge this summer, YOU gave us feedback and WE listened.

You said, gee, I want to work on this Fact vs. Fiction thing. To help you with that, we're hosting another 60-minute webinar! The Corporate Rebel Truthfully U: Fact vs Fiction. If you already know you want to join us, sign up here.

If you want to dig deeper into what we mean by Fact vs Fiction, step into my life for a moment. You'll quickly see how the fiction hoodwinks your mind and sucks your energy.

On a quiet Saturday, I sat at my desk preparing for the Rethinking U Webinar. Computer straightened. Papers arranged logically. Pens, pencils perfectly lined up. Then the phone rang.

We have a landline (yes, an antique contraption with wires connected to other wires) and no caller ID so every call is a mystery guessing game. I can generally fake it, “Oh hey! How’s it going?” until I have enough voice recognition data to figure out the caller.

As I said, the phone rang...

Me: “Hello?”

Friend (let’s call her Gina): “Why are you still at home?”

Me: “Uh…” (brain churning…It’s Gina. Why am I not supposed to be at home? I like being at home.)

Gina: “You were supposed to pick me up ten minutes ago!”

Me: “Oh horsefeathers!” (She was right.)

Me again: “I can be there in twelve minutes.”

Gina: “No, I’ll just go.”

Me: “Oh. Okay.”

Gina: “Bye.”

I flew into action, changed into public-appropriate attire, and shot out of the garage. My brain went crazy. Gina will never forgive me. She’ll think I’m not reliable. I made us late. I let her down. She’ll hold a grudge and tell our friends that you cannot count on Anne for anything. Nope. Unreliable Anne.

I then devised an elaborate, heartfelt apology that basically held me personally responsible for all badness everywhere.

I arrived (late) to the gathering and, lo and behold, there was no steam coming out of Gina’s ears. When a side moment presented itself, I delivered my (truncated) apology and Gina said, “That’s okay. It happens to all of us.” Or something like that. The end. Do you do this to yourself?

Get out your dissecting tools. Dig around in the first couple paragraphs and look for the FACTS of what happened.

FACT #1: I forgot I had planned to pick up Gina.

FACT #2: I didn’t pick up Gina because of Fact #1.

FACT #3: Gina forgave me and still trusts me.

After that, it's all FICTION. Gina will never trust me again. She’ll turn all our mutual friends against me. Blah. Blah. Blah. You get the point. I created a friendship catastrophe that was all in my head and a waste of time.

Notice the energy I squandered. Do you do make stuff up and create catastrophe's in your head? Are you tired of wasting energy generating all kinds of negative gobbledeemuck? And for nothing?

Join us! (Small trumpet fanfare.) We’re doing another webinar: The Corporate Rebel Truthfully U on Monday October 7 at noon Central Time. Join us here.

It's worth the 60 minutes if you...

• Can’t keep negative thoughts out of your brain, even when you want to think positively.
• Compare yourself with others and come up short.
• Search for hidden meaning behind interactions.
• Spin and lie awake at night analyzing situations leaving you muddled and tired. Your friends are seriously tired of talking about it.

In 60 minutes you will...

• Distinguish the Facts of a situation from the Fiction
• Clear the clutter in your brain so you feel calm, energetic, and confident
• Dive under the emotion and confusion so you can make clearer and faster decisions
• Take action based on what’s actually true, rather than what you think is true, which will lead to better results

Join us. We can't wait to see you there!

Christina and Anne

P.S. Invite your friends! Their minds are full of fictions, too, and some of them may be about you. :-) They can join here.