Happy & Healthy Sunday to You:
I pray you and your loved ones are healthy and safe. This greeting especially goes out to those of you on the East coast here in the U.S. as you are likely shoveling out from this most recent snow storm.
Speaking of storms…
Today’s message is about what we say and what we do with the respective storms we experience in our lives.
Whether personal, professional, or “per-fessional” (I made that up for those who have personal situations in the workplace), we will/have/are currently experiencing situations that could very easily bring us to our metaphorical knees.
That is where exploring our options on what to do with what we have been given comes into play.
So, about 142 years ago, I mentioned the 10 Phases of Perspective Transformation:
- Disorienting dilemma
- Self Examination
- Critical assessment of role assumptions
- Recognizing that you are not alone
- Exploring options for new ways of acting
- Building competency in new role(s)
- Planning a course of action
- Acquiring knowledge and skills for new role
- Trying out new roles and assessing feedback
- Reintegration
Our respective “Disorienting Dilemmas” or storms may look different initially. However, once we engage with others we trust, we learn that we are not alone in our experiences. Then, the rest of the transformative (change) learning process becomes less daunting and we feel more empowered to reinvent and re-tool ourselves in order to move forward.
We are navigating what I call “high-level learning opportunities” right now (some folx may call it a high-level, hot, gusty s#!t storm…same thing). When you survive it/them there will be scars, trauma and the like. And…if you allow yourself the grace and clarity of mind, you will have, as Bishop Jakes just spoke about, the respect that comes from having the receipts of what got you through the storms. That respect may or may not come from others, but it most certainly needs to come from you.
Show yourself respect for getting through the storms in this season of your life in the best ways you knew how. You are still here. That means that you have been given the opportunity to learn from your experiences and carve out a new path, if it is required. As Mother Maya reminds us, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
Yes ma’am. Duly noted.
Please know that I am cheering for you as I cheer for myself (hope you all enjoy the new branding. I am transforming with you)! Feel free to check out the new Resources section on my website to download some of the 7-Questions as you continue doing the best you can with what you have been given. Please also make time to care for yourself. Pandemic fatigue, racial (and other identities) battle fatigue, and ingesting news about the current war in the Ukraine can be exhausting on the human spirit. Let’s do our best to rest and reclaim our mind as we continue to strive for love, justice and liberation in our lives!
In Solidarity.
