Estimated read time: 1 minute, 57 seconds.
From the vigil in Orlando
The Corporate Rebel Series launched with an amazing recorded interview with Ann Betz about brain integration and success at work.
People asked me all day if I was excited for the launch. The answer was no.
Don't get me wrong. I love the series. Ann's interview is spunky and smart. I could muster some excitement, turn to friends for pep talks, present an excited face to the world, and I choose not to do any of those things.
I am profoundly sad about everything that has happened and continues to happen in the world. Rather than numb or deny my sadness, I want to honor it.
Shit happens to all of us. We face job losses, health scares, death, or terrible tragedies (like Sandyhook or Orlando). Even the monotony of working a soulless job can make us sad.
I struggled this week with whether to even refer to Orlando, and then I realized, that each of us has a responsibility to use our platform - whether it's a kitchen table, a board room, our FB page or a stage - to take a stand for love and peace: at work, on the street, at home, and in the public discourse.
We need our sadness. It's what connects us to each other and our own souls. Our emotions make us human. Staying connected to our dark emotions like sadness is part of the "without sacrificing your soul" part of being a Corporate Rebel.
Here are a few thoughts from this sad place:
- Sadness is a natural human response when something is wrong. It's a sign that you are sensitive to the world around you and that you're paying attention. Be glad for that.
- Sadness opens your heart. When you experience the full range of your emotions, you know you're alive.
- Your sadness creates compassion for others: a customer who needs your help, a colleague who is struggling, a friend. Reach out.
- Your sadness creates connection. People crave connection. (In fact, connection is one of the #1 factors that creates happiness at work.) When you share your vulnerabilities with others, the result is amazing.
- Sadness leads to action. To give money. To write letters. To advocate for change in your workplace or community. To support those directly effected by tragedy and loss.
Own your little part of the universe. Love is bigger than hate. And it is our responsibility to live love every day in our souls and our actions.
Warmly,
Christina
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