This past year has just totally sucked. I’m wondering if there is a life that I want to create beyond the brutal. What about you?
As many of you know, my mom died recently. I wrote a blog post last month about how brutal it has been for me. Truthfully, that hasn’t changed and I still miss her with an intensity that’s palpable. What has changed however, is that I’m starting to poke my head slightly above the water to test the air. Maybe there is life beyond the brutal.
Want to join me?
Sigh. Groan. Exhale. Brutal.
I am fully and deeply grateful for all I have in my life. My gratitude is real, but it doesn’t eliminate the real-life stuff that has just so sucked in spite of the privileged life I live. (Sorry mom, I know you hate this word.) Yes, my mother died and my life as I knew it, gone. Sigh – brutal. Yes, my husband and I both had Covid and we were both sicker than we can ever remember being. Groan – brutal; we recovered. Yes, the pandemic caused my on-site client work to grind to a halt. Yearn – I really miss the kind of work I thrive at doing in person. Yes, my first grandchild was born in the middle of the pandemic. Exhale – Not ideal. No, I haven’t seen my daughter since July. This totally and completely sucks and no, Zoom doesn’t replace my need to touch her – longing. My dad has canceled me coming to FL to help and be with him as he is alone for the first time in 64 years because of his fear of the pandemic Suck. Suck. Suck. Brutal.
I can continue to live in all that is brutal right now because there’s a lot that does. But….the little voice in my head is starting to whisper, there is life beyond the brutal; create it.
Beyond the Brutal.
I’m not alone and I know many people have experienced loss, fear and sadness this year. I am feeling the tug to re-emerge from this sh*t show to create my life the way I want it to be. I’m thinking the time might as well be now.
Do you want to join me?
Where should we start? I believe we should start with ourselves. I start by looking over here, and you start with you. There’s the work/career work that we may need to do to manifest what’s next. Then there’s the personal healing work we may need to do too. I have started on both areas and have some suggestions for you regarding the work thing if you want some help.
It’s Not Enough to Just Have a Job.
When was the last time you stepped back to ask yourself how things are really going? I’m talking about work. For most people, when they take a look at their work-life, they’ve already figured out, it’s not enough to just have a job. Feeling extreme happiness about work is not a luxury it’s a necessity. So, how happy are you, really?
Lots of things I am reading lately predict that 2021 will be the year of transition. Barring any unexpected catastrophes, we can start to look forward to shaping our futures rather than just grinding through the present. So many people I talk to say they are indeed grinding through their work days and if they told the bare truth, are miserable and stressed. Some have been stressed out for so long, they think this way of being is the way it is – and it’s normal to feel this way. No, it’s not normal.
The COVID-19 crisis has created a necessity for many companies to reconfigure their operations and individuals — and an opportunity to transform them.
So, my friend, what are you doing to transform yourself?
Many people are using this moment in time to re-imagine and re-invent themselves professionally.
Are you Sleepwalking Professionally?
Most people do not step back often enough to re-evaluate what’s actually going on professionally in their lives. Most don’t know how to make certain that how they spend their day day-to-day work aligns with what they bring to the table with what matters most to them. If you haven’t taken serious inventory on this for yourself, you may be sleepwalking.
Do you know what matters most to you work-wise?
I promise you that if you don’t evaluate your what and how on a somewhat regular basis, it’s just a matter of time before you’re miserable and not as productive as you have been. Maybe you already know the feeling of sleepwalking through your work days versus being energized, excited and passionate.
It’s incredibly helpful to raise your awareness of exactly what is working swimmingly and what isn’t, so you can bring your best self to the table and be taken seriously for what you bring.
How do you do that? I have one idea that could be a big help.
