Be Kind and Patient with Yourself
As we start to move out of Covid and back toward a more normal life, it feels like things are accelerating very fast. I have had multiple conversation this week with friends and colleagues who are experiencing this. Many people have mentioned how they feel stressed, a bit harried, and feel like everyone is suddenly asking for everything to be done right now!
Stop and breathe.
As difficult as the past year has been, I have enjoyed slowing down, taking time to reflect and be quiet, and have fewer responsibilities on my plate. I’ve been busy and worked hard, but there’s been a sense of zen about it all that I don’t want to lose.
As we move forward I am taking time to examine this. I get to decide what parts of the old “normal” I want to go back to. Even with the demands of work and social life, I can move forward in the way I choose. I hope you’ll give yourself the same permission.
This is going to require a lot of patience and grace. We must give ourselves the same grace we are trying to give to others. Everyone is struggling to navigate all of this. Talk to yourself the way you would talk to others. Allow yourself time to adjust.
This winter I did a series of webinars and podcasts called the “Season of Grace.” We can’t ever know what someone else is going through, or what their situation is. So we need to treat each other with a sense of grace. Have empathy and assume that everyone is doing the best they can. Imagine walking a mile in their shoes. The webinar series was framed around the winter season, but all of this is also going to be true this summer and this Fall. Every group we see is battling their own unique situation and challenges. When we watch a performance, we can’t know what they are up against or what they are having to deal with just to be showing up to perform. Of course, this is ALWAYS true when we see ANY group, so this is good practice for what I hope will be a new paradigm around all interactions we have.
Individually, we are each going to navigate this “opening up” in the way that is right for us. I am giving myself permission to do all of this in the best way for me. If I feel most comfortable in a mask, I’m going to wear it. If I’m still wanting to do a quick fist bump instead of a handshake or hug, that’s what I’m going to do. Kind people are already interacting in this way. When you walk up to someone, just ask “Can I give you a hug? A hand shake? What are you comfortable with?” A matter of fact query will allow us to move gracefully through this time. (By the way, I have friends who never like to hug, so asking something like this might be a kind way to move through life all the time!)
Perhaps this transition time can teach us new ways of interacting that are more kind and graceful. Allow yourself to learn and falter and navigate this passage of time. It may challenge us and be a bit messy, but we can do it.
Some “Season of Grace” conversations:
YouTube video with Shirley Dorritie: Baking Banana Bread Without Bananas
Webinar with Shirley Dorritie: A Season of Grace
Podcast with Jackie Gilley and Dr. Mary White: A Season of Grace
Podcast with Greg Llacer and Keith McKeachie: Two Judges on this Unusual Season (of Grace)
Tim Hinton
April 30, 2021
