Friends, we have entered into a new phase. We are in a growth phase, so if you feel like softened modeling clay waiting to be formed, you are not alone. Are you feeling the shift? It can feel exciting as you are getting used to new (again) experiences, exhausting and hesitant as you are stretched beyond where you got comfortable, and often feels like you are anticipating something, like “now what”? 

I can’t help but draw parallels between our pandemic experiences (including now) and the phases of adjustment when returning from war. It gives me peace and puts some normalcy to what we are going through, even provides guidance. Returning from war, I felt: Now what? How does this now compare to what I have been through? Who gets what I have been through? Who am I? And what do I do now with what I know? 

You see, we have come from a years-long state of safety, security, and survival. Change was thrust upon us, requiring us to adjust nearly everything. I am not being dramatic, but a global pandemic and all it brought put our brains into security mode, for us, our families, friends, and communities. Security mode makes you hunker down, stock up, put up boundaries, and protect. It’s not bad, it’s survival. And, for some, this continues. 

For many, it’s time. It’s time to figure out how we take all we learned, because of this change and do something meaningful and positive with it. That’s how we grow. 

    Change + Learning = Growth

You can change and not learn, and you can learn and not change. However, in this instance, we all changed, so if you learned, you get to grow. We get to grow. And that is an amazing opportunity I don’t want to miss. Of all the things you learned that you wished were different, better, and more full of love, now is the time.

And, we learned a lot in the last couple of years. 

 – We learned about ourselves: what was too much, what we want to prioritize, how our choices impact our time and energy, where we are willing to sacrifice, and what really makes us happy

 – We learned about how we work: where, when, with whom, why, if at all. We learned to bring our whole selves to work, appreciate those that wear many hats, and that employees have more power than perceived

 – We learned about each other: how to support each other and our community, what inequality looks like and how it’s not good enough to do nothing, who is underappreciated and what sacrifice looks like, where we disagree, and with whom we most value spending time

 – We learned so much more!

So GROW! Like a caterpillar in a cocoon, you had to first digest yourself and become a soup (moldable and open) in order to go through rapid growth into the new creature. Each voice matters, and each connection counts, so take your first step into growth. Consider this your seed, it’s been planted. Let’s grow together. 

The Great Opportunity is upon us, so what are you going to do with your time and your energy?