Happy Friday Everyone,
I used today’s Coffee Chat to talk in a bit more depth the article I wrote on Wednesday, as well as go over a concept from Monday’s newsletter, courtesy of a dm I received from a subscriber about the impact a particular quote from it had on them:
“Mold doesn’t appear out of nowhere. It comes from a lack of maintenance, from neglect, from stagnation.”
Apart from that, I don’t really have any overarching, articulate themes this week. I was a bit too busy with the family and work to slow down and think or look for any; my brain was full.
This weekend will definitely be one of unplugging and recharging. I’ll likely crack a physical book open, hang out with the family, and go to bed early.
There are a few things sparked from conversations this week I can leave you with, however, some (paraphrased) words from good friends on a community call this week, and a poem that touches on the same advice that I think is applicable to leaders and those they lead, for the mentality of leading is one and the same for both.
“There is nothing to suggest that things won’t work out for you. The bad stuff that happens to us doesn’t define us. Trauma and the good are the same size, so remember what you’ve been through.”
- advice from friends
So, in addition to the friendly advice, and Coffee Chat recording, (thank you to everyone who tuned in), I’ll leave you with poem, A Morning, from Margaret Atwood:
Because we couldn’t sleep we went on
thought at first I could see little;
behind us the sun rose
white and cold; the early
wind came out of the sun.In front of us the low hills, yellow-
grey grass dunes, and then
the mountains: hard, furrowed
with erosion, cloudless, old, new
abrupt in the first light.With shrunken fingers
we ate our oranges and bread,
shivering in the parked car;
though we new we had never
been there before,
we knew we had been there before.1
Our exact circumstances may change from time to time in our life, but everything you need to find a way through, you already hold within you. Remind yourself of that when you feel out of control.
Until next time,
- Chris
Contour Lines is my anecdotal newsletter segment that weaves whats going on in my life with my thoughts on leadership as well as personal and organizational development.
If something resonates, leave a comment, or reach out to chat - I always love hearing people’s stories.
Want to chat about personal growth or walking a path of authentic leadership but aren’t sure were to start? You are always welcome to book a free call to either get fresh perspective or see if we’d work well together in cultivating your capacity to lead.
Atwood, Margaret. Poems By Margaret Atwood: Procedures For Underground. “A Morning.” Little, Brown, and Company, 1970.
