The Bridge #98
in which we get back to basics
Hello
& Welcome ! The Bridge is a newsletter connecting the professional and the personal creatively across cultures and a diversity of topics, until we are not only full of ideas but also ready to take action. Thanks for joining in the conversation.
As a reminder, I am a coach for those seeking a different way, a way to balance health and wealth, success and ease, struggles and experimentation. If you’ve been professionally successful, but find yourself a bit lost or stuck when it comes to deeper fulfillment, it’s probably … not all your fault 😊 The system around us is designed to distract and confuse, and it’s a mistake to think we can succeed on our own. I invite you to book a free intro call with me if you believe talking it out could help clarify your situation.
Something to Consider
Not long ago (several times over the last few months, in fact), I was in a crisis moment.
I needed to remind myself of the basics and care for myself. I felt so stressed, however, that I was struggling to remember how to do it. So I made a list and started working my way through it:
Will curling up in a ball beneath some warm blankets and taking a nap help ?
Do I need to go to the bathroom (many times stress for me concentrates itself in my gut, extreme tightness there was part-cause for my 2020 burnout) ?
What about some physical exercise (yoga, rock climbing, walking or cycling — helping to strengthen muscles that support my spine) ?
Do I need to talk to someone (new people or old friends) ?
Are there tasks I am leaving undone I could approach with more playfulness and experimentation?
Am I spending too much time going down rabbit holes in front of a screen when I should be cleaning the home, making lunch, running an errand? (sometimes my mental curiosity keeps me from doing basic tasks that would get me moving my body, taking care of my local environment, feeling less anxious)
Beyond the questions and easier than any of the above, I always feel more calm when I’m breathing deep. Often receiving kind words from friends helps me remember that!
* Breathing deep. *
Something to Spark Conversation
Engage others with civic debate to mend our polarized society (Surmountable)
At the end of last year a new friend wrote his final essay for a book-to-be-published tackling 100 topics and suggesting ways to take action with a non-partisan approach. The final essay outlines the extent of a problem — that American society is polarized and trust has frayed, mainstream media is NOT helping and political parties are sharpening the divide — and yet there is hope.
Very few Americans (11% according to one poll) blame ordinary people for the divisiveness in the country, and while harmony is rarely considered newsworthy, there are hundreds of possibilities for projects that could unite Americans. The question is not whether people have enough in common but whether they will prioritize the conversation long enough to get things moving.
We know how easy it can be to get distracted. Let’s focus on doing whatever it takes to heal ourselves and our society. What are the next steps?
Something to Enjoy
How about a song?
Dar Williams is a folk singer who performs primarily in small-town venues. She’s written a book about small towns revitalizing themselves through ‘positive proximity’ — a term she coined to mean, when we find ways to interact locally with others on a project or through group activities or in a commons area, we learn to make positive things happen which ripple outward even more positively after a time. We simply need the time and space for the conversations.
She has written a song called “The Christians and the Pagans” that was released in the mid-1990s, and I’m sharing it now as a kind of Christmas in July type thing. A family learns to get together and share a meal, despite differences. It captures something so specific and universal at the same time. We can celebrate moments: Forget the talking points, and share the meal.
Something to Practice
Share in a good conversation this week. Start with thoughtful questions, tread lightly, seek harmonious debate and end with love. It doesn’t matter who wins if we all win for having the quality of a moment to speak honestly and to listen without figuring out THE ANSWERS but simply being able to hold the space for a moment.
It’s like this:
So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table,
Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able,
Lighting trees in darkness, learning new ways from the old, and
Making sense of history and drawing warmth out of the cold.
Considering the quality of conversation,
Giving it another go,
Back to basics,
JPC