“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. “ Viktor Frankl
It is starting to happen. We are starting to see the other side of this pandemic. Going back. Returning to normal. Back to business as usual. New normal. Crank it all up!
Now hold on for a moment. As a human community, we have not collectively experienced something like this in quite some time – generations! I suggest that we pause for a moment and ask a few questions.
What have we learned about ourselves and each other during this experience? From this learning, what do we want to take forward, and what do we want to leave behind? Who do we need to have these conversations with? How does co-creating space for these conversations facilitate a response of growth and freedom?
As organizations, your people have been through quite an ordeal – not just professionally, also personally. For many folks, these two worlds were blended in ways unimaginable. Undoing this after such an extended time will be easy for some, and most challenging for others. There were losses and grief will be an appropriate response for some, if not many, who have lost: loved ones and/or friends, jobs and resources, the opportunity to connect with family and friends, and hope for a better future – to name a few. Each person has had a unique experience that needs to be honored.
I invite you to choose compassion for yourself and others as we make the journey back from an experience we have never had before. There is no playbook. And as Viktor Frankl mentions, “in our response lies our growth and freedom”. I hope that your response inspires you to walk more bravely with a heart open for transformation – in all your being and doing.
