Adversity And Letting Go

“When I look at the road from which I came

and the bridges I had to cross

the mountains I was asked to climb

and rivers I swam across,

it doesn’t seem likely

I would still be able to stand

adversity kept me on my knees constantly

but it also made me who I am.”

Bernard Snyder

Where do you start with everything that’s going on right now on our planet?

Often in times of pain and adversity, we turn to the arts to help us process what’s happening or to get some comfort.

And the above short poem resonated with me – I hope you take something from it.

I found myself on a call last Friday with several hundred people from around the world as we participated in a global check-in for leaders and transformation professionals.

One of the questions discussed was this:

What are you being called to let go of?

Here were the most common answers:

• Busyness
• Existing mental patterns
• The way ‘I’ want it to be
• My ego and the way it ‘should’ be
• My need to control everything

There is no doubt that we are in the middle of one of the most profound social experiments in the history of our planet and there are many challenges based on what’s happening.

But within those challenges there are plenty of opportunities.

Some of them might include:

• Learning how to work remotely, successfully
• Reviewing your model of leadership
• Digging deeper into what it means to be human
• Finding innovative ways to serve your team and your customers
• Spending better time with your family
• Being more open to ‘left of field’ suggestions on how to work/innovate

Each of the above will involve letting go of something – and at the centre perhaps is our way of thinking – believing our own perspectives 100%.

There is an immense opportunity in all of this change to let go of certain parts of us – so that we emerge better/stronger as people, teams, organisations and communities.

This week, maybe consider the above question for you:

What are you being called to let go of?

And what will you do about it?

Best,

Shane

ps – Feel free to let me know your answers.

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