Reaching Out For Support - It's Not Easy - But It's Waiting For You
During these relentlessly challenging times, it can seem impossible for community and business leaders to reach out for needed support when it is urgently needed and could make a difference?
Today’s conditions of non stop change create a windstorm of chaos and confusion.
These conditions are not likely getting resolvied without major intervention. This requires nothing less than our brightest and best, individually and collectively.
History shows we are designed to give and receive help. Today's challenge is to generate the bridge to enable the flow of support as needed.
This article will: briefly highlight the condition of our current playing field, illustrate the cumulative impact on our community and business leaders and others, indicate the value of a circle of support based in trust and alignment of purpose, and provide a simple strategy for generating the structure and help to reach out for your support(s).
Our current playing field is impacted by a severely accelerated pace and scope of change.
Fifty years ago, we had maybe a decade to process an area of change.
Fast forward to today and it seems like we have months. The pace of change feels relentless, not allowing sufficient time to understand what is happening and how to process toward solutions. In effect, we’ve stockpiles of unresolved change which creates chaos and disorientation.
The cumulative impact on our community and business leaders, and others.
Entangled in confusion, anxiety and doubt.
Disempowered from too much to do w/o sufficient time, energy or support to resolve or manage situations.
Exhausted from the fear that your situation is out of control with no apparent strategies for solutions. So you work non-stop to plug the leaks that are sinking your ship. Then you can’t turn it off at end of day.
Compelled to work in a way that conflicts with your vision of what’s most important to you.
Helplessness, from the endless challenges to your situation that you deeply care about, which crushes your spirit and ability to see beyond the fog of accumulated obstacles.
Selectively hide what you really think, feel and want to do because you fear public reactions could create harmful consequences for your community (and business) services.
Being personally identified with your situation that is out of control, you are unable to view it objectively, falling into a tar pit of despair, which loosens an unshakable angst that haunts you.
Afraid of finding new support(s) because it might expose you as a 'leader' who feels overwhelmed and incapable of making a difference.
You want to reach out for support and sometimes tell your inner circle you will, but you don’t.
What will you add to this list?
The value of a circle of support based in trust and alignment of purpose.
Provides space and engagement for consistently stepping out of the relentless pace and pressures of your situation to create periods of quiet for reconnecting with yourself.
Creates the structure and discipline for decompressing which enables you to generate the needed self care to maintain sanity and vitality.
Progressively clear your thinking and calm your emotions so you can breathe more fully and let go of the 24/7 tension for being battle ready.
Experience being seen and heard which creates the conditions for peeling away layers of fixed beliefs and perceptions for more clearly understanding yourself and the playing field.
Continue opening to the experience of support that is with and for you which enables your processing out loud into realizing what you really think, feel and want to do.
Come to terms with what is out of your control, releasing preoccupation with it, along with the tonnage of lingering angst and helplessness.
Embody a relaxed and clear wide-angle-focus as the norm for seeing the overall playing field, while realizing when and how to selectively use laser-focus to understand and influence your situation.
Refocus on trusting yourself which enables dealing with situations you now believe are beyond your reach.
Realize and execute strategies for communication and relationship that can generate a common ground with the capacity for creating solutions.
What will you add to this list?
Being at our brightest and best is a requirement, and our responsibility, for facing and resolving the challenges we are struggling to live through these days.
5-step strategy for generating the structure and help to reach out for, and find, your support(s).
What do you need to do for stepping out of the windstorm to have the space for these steps? Decide, schedule, and do it.
Who in your current inner circle will you reach out to for help in finding the significant support that you are needing. Decide, schedule, and do it.
Referring to the “cumulative impact” list above, what continues or intensifies in your current situation if nothing changes? Drilling deeply into this question is an essential step. I find it is often necessary to break through the inertia that is keeping you stuck. I recommend doing it with someone you trust, more than 1x, to fully realize the factors and impact on you and your situation.
Commit 100% to finding the support you need. If your commitment is less, then continue processing #3 like your life depends upon it. Otherwise you will continue being buried in what is currently consuming you.
Continue utilizing your current inner circle as a sounding board, with accountability, as you research, reach out, find, and enter the relationship with your significant support(s). Schedule and do it.
TAKING ACTION: With all your pressures and non stop activity, be encouraged to do these next 2 steps NOW or it will likely get buried in what is currently consuming you.
Decide now you are going to employ the above 5 step strategy for enabling you to reach out for, and find, your significant support.
Schedule when you will send a text to someone in your current inner circle for their help to implement this strategy in a way that serves you.
FORTHCOMING ARTICLES
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Embodying an Unwavering Heart. Note, this is the focus of my first 2 books, and the 3rd book which is in draft status.
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Unwavering Heart: 5 Keys to Living with Fierce Authenticity, 2014
Unwavering Heart: 5 Keys to Becoming your Destiny, 2017