Please, God, or whatever superior life force you believe in, purge that phrase from my purview. “The New Normal.” I use that as my title today because I want to vanquish its use. It is so damn, defeatist. This note is nothing about that.
For every dystopian, apocalyptic bit of media we have allowed ourselves to consume, from every episode of “The Walking Dead” or “The Hunger Games,” did we think that it would be like this? That’s what many are saying, of course, that this is the singularity. The “Big One.” Perhaps. Is it wrong of me to not really give a flying, flipping, flop? Because on a day-to-day basis, I don’t. In essence, I’ve been preparing for this with my work as a High-Performance coach. I spend my days helping my clients look at things from different perspectives. These different perspectives give CLARITY. This is what I do, and therefore, it is what I am.
In the face of this different way of living, what can we do to turn the tide? Inspired by my bandmates, here are two ideas.
In our weekly virtual band meeting yesterday, Susan, who plays fiddle, committed to reaching out to “My Brothers Table,” the local soup kitchen, and just ask, “What can I do?” It might be just to drop off food. Perhaps it’s some other errand or chore. Only the commitment of doing this gave her buoyancy.
Steve, who plays bass, started a nightly cacophonous recognition of our health care workers. Every night at 8, the denizens of the West Pond neighborhood in Magnolia MA, emerge with pot and stick in hand, and shout and hoot and holler. It’s cathartic, it gives recognition, and it lets our neighbors know, we are not giving in.
With this different way of living, Susan, Steve, and I, collectively known as “The Blue Honey Drops,” are practicing and recording remotely. I put down the rhythm guitar and vocal track to get things started. Susan creates fiddle and vocals while listening to my track. Steve lays down the bass and vocals. It’s excellent practice, and it created this, which I’m proud of.
A musical interlude - Click Here
As Congressman Dan Crenshaw recently said on the Bill Maher show,
“Panic breeds panic, calm breeds calm.”
Be calm. Do something.
He also said this, which is a bit of a non-sequitur, “Try hard not to offend, try harder not to be offended.” Does this sound familiar? From the Four Agreements, agreement number 2, “Don’t take anything personally.” Yes, indeed.
Alright, I’m on a roll now. The Third Agreement is “Never Make Assumptions.” In this time of high-anxiety induced by uncertainty, making assumptions about what “might happen” is corrosive, counterproductive, and just plain corrupting. Of course, keep your eyes looking forward, just don’t ruminate. Which leads me to a quote that I made. I’m sure this has been said many times and in many ways, but this is how I say it.
“Rumination leads to ruination.”
The New Normal. This post is a bit of the new normal for my weekly communications. A bit less focused on one thing, with some special stuff, sprinkled in. The special stuff? I’ll be doing co-written Blog Posts with folks In my sphere. First up in a few weeks, on the subject of disruption, I’ll be publishing a Blog with Deirdre Sartorelli, the Director for the Colin and Erika Angle Center for Entrepreneurship and assistant dean in the Gerrish School of Business of Endicott College. Also, expect some choice video short-form interviews with movers and influencers from across the country and from around the world. It’s going to be fun, and I believe enlightening.
In closing, here are a few things to consider focusing on today.
Adopt the “Role Model Mindset.” Be the leader you are capable of being. Set the example and build your INFLUENCE.
Optimize your Health and Wellness. Just one thing this week. What will it be? No sugar for the whole week? Double your greens every day? Meditate for 20 minutes? I’ve got a million of ‘em. You do too!
Level up your skills. Get ready for the next inevitable positive swell.
Feed your Spirit
Train your Body
Focus your Mind
In service,
James
