Gifts Found in Our Chaos
Most of the people I’ve talked to feel like it’s been months since last Saturday. So much has changed and continues changing for all of us amidst this pandemic. Even with all the difficult pieces we are trying to figure out – there are gifts found in our chaos.
Perspective
As the week has unfolded and I’ve started to feel the effects of isolation, a lot of frustration has surfaced. We are frustrated with not having access to conveniences of doing what we want, when we want to, and of having to figure out how to keep ourselves entertained. As I think about these frustrations, another group of people who have gone through this keeps coming to mind – those who lived through World War II (and any number of other extreme disruptions).
Now imagine being stripped of your normal for years and add in these factors – bombings, troops passing through your towns, food shortages and rationing, your safety in doubt every minute of the day. As a world, we are bucking up to deal with this for a weeks and months. Those in WWII did this for years.
Gifts in the Chaos
Keeping that perspective has given me courage. Courage to move forward with an eye for the gifts found in this chaos. Here are some of the gifts I’ve found so far.
We are:
- Eating more leisurely meals as a family, not impacted by evening activities.
- Going through less laundry because we don’t have different sets of work, evening, and sports practice clothes.
- Getting outdoors as a family to take a break from being inside.
- Staying in touch with family and friends through technology.
- Spending more time playing games and watching movies as a family.
- Creating new rhythms and routines that fit our new norm and that aren’t as hectic as previous rhythms.
- Doing some of those projects we’ve put off because we suddenly have time to do them (my shredder thanks you for the workout!).
Moving Forward
That’s a quick list of some of the surprise gifts this pandemic has brought our family. There’s still a lot of stressful things to figure out, like how do we find space for four of us to do work at home, how will this impact my business and income, how long before we drive each other crazy?
Yet, I have to be careful because when I focus on the stressful things, I may miss the gifts that come from this chaos. That’s my reminder to myself today. Look for the gifts of today.
What about you? What gifts have you seen in the midst of our chaos?
Vistage chair, keynote speaker, trainer, and consultant, Sarah Gibson, helps organizations leverage the power of communication, teamwork and diversity to improve engagement and transform teams.
If you are a CEO or know a CEO who would benefit from a peer advisory group, please contact Sarah at Sarah.Gibson@Vistage.com. To inquire about her speaking programs, please visit www.sarahjgibson.com.
