familial, tribal, national and international – the key to a happier and
more successful world is the growth of compassion. We do not need to
become religious, nor do we need to believe in an ideology. All that is
necessary is for each of us to develop our good human qualities." — The 14th Dalai Lama
In the midst of the turbulent world we find ourselves in today, I am noticing a tendency lately – globally, economically, inter-personally – to contract, to pull away, to shrink energetically. Economies, jobs, and even ourselves: we are pulling our own internal resources in closer. Circling the wagons. Battening the hatches.
Because things seem hard, scary, unsure, unstable. It feels harder to take a risk, or try new things. Things that felt within arm's reach not too long ago seem to feel further away today. The fear of the unknown, that sense of contraction, makes the bar seem higher.
One of my teachers says that every decision is a choice between love and fear. It is an act of courage and leadership to take the leap, to stretch into the void, the unknown – and especially to choose love and compassion in the face of not only your internal fears, but the global fears present in the very air we breathe lately.
What will you choose today?
Before specializing as a professional coach in 2004, I spent more than a decade in leadership, management and program development for state and local government and non-profit organizations. Now I get to help leaders and teams have more clarity and ability to stand up for what's important in their work and in their organizations. Working with me, leaders and teams find more meaning and purpose, feel happier and more confident, navigate change and conflict, and work together better.
The fear of the unknown, that sense of contraction, makes the bar seem higher.