When I look at what's required for us to become the kind of leaders the world needs, so much of it comes down to... feelings.
Anxiety, dread, grief, anger, overwhelm, exhaustion. All of these come up as we face the challenges of creating a new world whilst swimming in the current world. They can stop us taking the action that we need to.
I have a question/reminder that I'm experimenting with today that might be useful.
When I read Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky's work on overwhelm and secondary trauma (back when I made all those youtube videos in six weeks?), I thought becoming less overwhelmed was going to be all about systems and stuff.
But so much of what she recommends is things that increase our capacity - like, being in nature, seeing people we love, getting sleep, having a stillness practice, moving....
And I'm really really doing my best to do these things. I'm moving once or twice a day, I'm convening some queer open house spaces so we have some community, I'm doing crafts, reading more, I'm trying to turn off Grey's Anatomy and prioritise sleep.
But I come from a line of matriarchs who worried. And let's be frank, we live in an increasingly worrying world.
For me, worry and anxiety is what I feel when a part of me feels like something bad is going to happen.
I don't know about you, but I forget that that feeling of certainty doesn't actually mean I can predict the future.
So here's the reminder I'm using today:
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You don't actually know what's going to happen. Are you opening to the present moment?
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I don't know what's going to happen later on today, tomorrow, next week. I certainly don't know what's going to happen nationally and globally in the coming years.
But opening to the current moment will make it more likely I can take the next wise and timely action.
I've already used this reminder SEVERAL times today and I think it's helping.
How does that sit with you? What else helps you with staying out of the worst bits of worry? I'm all ears for strategies!