“You are the sky – everything else is just the weather” Pema Chodron.
What is your internal weather today? Please read, again, the quote above. No matter our weather – sunny, windy or given to sudden showers – we are a constant in the background. We are the sky. Broad, permanent and beautiful. We can stand serene in this – knowing that this weather too will pass.
Monday we will set intentions for the week. Please do join and feel free to invite others. We ‘meet’ on zoom every week day morning at 8.45 for 15 minutes. The link is here.
Please donate as you are able – with no obligation and no upper or lower limit. The link to donate is: paypal.me/weleadchange. All profits will go towards supporting our community of freelancers, small business owners and independents during this time.
“If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the BIGGEST one first!” Mark Twain
The frog, of course, is a metaphor for the things that you are finding challenging to complete or procrastinating over. You may have come across this before through the book ‘Eat that Frog’ which looks at tackling procrastination and ultimately being more productive by getting the right things done at the right time and taking control of your day.
Eating frogs was our theme today. We had a range of ideas that were shared. These included:
Productivity tools – Antonia suggested the Pomodoro method of breaking the day into smaller, timed segments (https://tomato-timer.com/#). Donald uses Evernote – and zero inbox to help organise an connect tasks (https://evernote.grsm.io/ebccccdpudney). Julian suggested agreeing and setting a timer with children for activities.
Getting prepared – Mecki reflected “I start the day the night before, writing down three things I am pleased/grateful about that went on during that day just gone and set myself the three most important things to do the next day. Those these things change of course quite regularly”. Similarly, Lamese said “I plan for the day in the morning based on how I feel 50/50 split between work and personal”.
Creating routine – Many participants mentioned following the same schedule with a few constants to help build momentum. This could include: an exercise break, eating meals at set times, start the day with a session with loved ones and talk about feelings and what to focus on that day.
Creating a sense of accountability – Productivity is supported if you have an accountability buddy, tell others what you’re doing and check-in with colleagues
Please – being productive is important – but do give yourself permission to be kind. These are odd times and holding ourselves and others too rigidly is not ideal. Focus and flex!
We ended with each sharing the first ‘frog’ we were going to eat today. And this epic – and appropriate song from Paul McCartney:
“Win or lose, sink or swim One thing is certain we’ll never give in Side by side, hand in hand We all stand together”
See you tomorrow for our last Cup of Calm for the week. Please do join and feel free to invite others. We ‘meet’ on zoom every week day morning at 8.45 for 15 minutes. The link is: https://zoom.us/j/8044531372
Please donate as you are able – with no obligation and no upper or lower limit. The link to donate is: paypal.me/weleadchange. All profits will go towards supporting our community of freelancers, small business owners and independents during this time.
Sunshine, family, birds – and even technology! Today we started with appreciation and shared things to be grateful for….
Here is the meditation I shared (with a little ad lib!):
Begin with gentle breathing. Notice the rhythm. Experience the rise and fall of your breath
Breath: As you breathe slowly in and out… Notice how reliable, how constant your breath is… Feel grateful for this vital force that tunes us into our present Breathe in appreciation Breathe out gratitude
Body: Notice your body moving as you breathe… Notice your body Scan your body from head to toe Consider the gift to have this mixture of cells, water and magic that allows you to experience the world… Scan again – this time as if you were pouring gratitude into every cellBreathe in appreciation Breathe out gratitude
Someone/something: Take your attention out of yourself onto someone / something else Bring them to your minds-eye… Consider them with gratitude – beam gratitude like a bright light – sunshine towards them Breathe in appreciation Breathe out gratitude
Everything: Widen once more to all beings- beam this gratitude more broadly….Breathe in appreciation Breathe out gratitudeBreathe…
And here is the magnificent poem read by David Whyte to remind us of all that surrounds us and supports us. Everything is Waiting for You.
Tomorrow we will be exploring resourcefulness and the format will be slightly different. Please do join and feel free to invite others. We ‘meet’ on zoom every week day morning at 8.45 for 15 minutes. The link is here.
Please donate as you are able – with no obligation and no upper or lower limit. The link to donate is: paypal.me/weleadchange. All profits will go towards supporting our community of freelancers, small business owners and independents during this time.
Wherever you are today, however you are holding recent events – we invite you to take a deep breath out. Perhaps the time taken to read this note could be an opportunity to let go of fear related to uncertainty and to step into a more nourishing space.
We are exploring the following questions – and invite you to join us:
How do I make sense of this?
This is an important humbling experience for any of us who thought that we had control – either individually or at an organisation or systemic level. It reminds us of our limited ability to take action and influence.
We can remind ourselves what is in each of our remit of control and let go of anything outside that narrow space. And yet, paradoxically, narrowing our idea of control could be accompanied by a bigger understanding of that which connects us all, globally. We can realise that our action – or inaction – could free up hospital beds, bring comfort in community, support local livelihoods and stop the death of an immune compromised person.
We are both powerless and powerful. This situation asks us to be more conscious of our own limitations and clear in our universal responsibility.
What does this mean for me?
At worst it could be a time to panic buy, create ‘others’ and isolate. At best, perhaps, it’s a time for reflection and discovering new ways of connection.
It is a time to take care of yourself and that doesn’t mean (necessarily!) chocolate, beer or bubble bath – it means deeply nurturing yourself with the best of clean foods. It means creating space for seeing and acknowledging the positive in this new way of doing things. It means not putting yourself in a compromising situation for your health. It means giving yourself a break from all the ‘shoulds’ and ‘musts’ in your life and finding time to refresh and renew to ‘be’.
‘Be’ quiet with yourself, in your most precious spaces and fortify yourself with calls to those who make you smile inside – and those that need to hear a friendly voice. Give up on when/what and if and make friends with the present. Surrender.
How do I best support others?
First, do no harm. Even if you feel fine, even if you’re not in any of the most vulnerable groups – don’t inadvertently become a carrier. Where you can, change your travel pattern – don’t travel unless you are an essential worker.
Don’t judge other people – or their reactions to this crisis. This will mean different things to different people – try and understand the impact from their perspective – an over-reaction to you may be a self-employed single mom wondering how to look after a child taken out of school and pay the rent when her clients are disappearing.
Find ways to help others. There are petitions in support of the self-employed. Lobby your service providers – banks, energy companies and phone companies to flex payments during this time – to support those unable to earn a living.
What can we learn as a society?
In Italy people are singing from balconies to one another. Communities are providing support to the aged. Air pollution is dropping. They say in Wuhan you can hear birds singing, again. We take so many of our social systems and norms for granted.
May this time give us an opportunity to reflect on what works and what doesn’t, what joyful means for each of us and look within for ways to design better societies.
What can we do to make things better, together?
What is it that we can do or create for you to navigate these times?
What do you need/want? Any other ideas of how we can support each other and others?
We have already started our morning Cup of Calm, ALL welcome more info and joining details here. Read more about how else we plan to support the whole community.
Please do drop us a note on hello@sheleadschange.org. if you’re keen to sign-up to one of the offers above, sponsor an idea or support us in delivering it – please do say which one!
Hope to see you on-line soon – meantime keep your hands clean and your heart open.
