“In the midst of every crises, lies great opportunity.” Einstein
As our world shakes and quakes from the Covid pandemic and, more recently, massive social unrest, we are collectively tossed around by a tsunami of uncertainty that crashes through our lives – personally, professionally, socially, and globally. Quite suddenly lifted from the (allegedly) solid ground of our life, our world has been turned upside down and we stand together before an unknown future. Who are we now? In this new and precarious place.
Like most of us, I never imagined that my/our world could transform so quickly, so radically, leaving no layer of life untouched. Transformation: Part One erupted some months ago with the arrival of Covid-19 and the unrecognizable world it unleashed. Abruptly, it was like a switch flicked and the New (ab)Normal was here: shelter-at-home, face masks, social distancing, Zoom everything, and countless other ruptures to our embedded routines.
Then, just as we were starting to flatten some curves and sense some glimmer of possible light at the end of that tunnel, Transformation: Part Two explodes. The tragic death of George Floyd opens old and unhealed wounds, and catalyzes massive and far-reaching waves of social and cultural upheaval. I don’t know about you but I’ve never experienced a One-Two punch from reality quite like this.
But as I try to adjust, reflect, and recover my balance to engage with this new world, I find it useful to ask questions like: What am I learning? What really matters and what do I care about? In the midst of such radical inner and outer changes, how do I find new ways of being creative and productive? How do I redefine and re-prioritize my work/life balance?
As fellow human beings – as families, communities, organizations, and ultimately as citizens of the planet – it seems we’ve been fast-forwarded into the School for Accelerated Human Learning. Are you ready? How we each engage with this new and shifting world-scape, I believe, provides crucial opportunities for re-learning what it means to be a human being in a time of unprecedented transformation.
May you navigate this new chapter with health, intelligence, balance, and an appreciation for the unique lessons in front of you.