In any space we gather, we interact with individuals who have different mindsets, opinions, and beliefs. Once upon a time, that was fine. However, we've become a culture ready and willing to tell you exactly where we stand. We're no longer people with our own opinions. Now we are deemed right, wrong, and even worse, stupid if we have a difference in opinion. Cancel culture and mob mentality are an epidemic. People are so angry with people they hardly know without the benefit of all the facts. Guilty until proven innocent is a new reality.

 

So, we can either continue down this path of every man for himself or change how we see one another. We don't need to be licensed in the field of psychology to see when someone is hurting and struggling.  

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My work is bringing awareness to understanding and working with the energy of individuals and the environment in which we gather. These are often overlooked and considered simplistic, but the impact is significant.  

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Think of unfortunate events like random shootings in places of worship, business, nightclubs, etc. It's usually committed by someone who clearly was in pain. Or by someone who believed the victims were wrong in some way and should be punished. These people did not wake up one day capable of these acts. There was a slow simmer until it wasn't. People knew and saw the unrest. I don't mean to imply that anyone did anything wrong. It's unfortunate that one individual did not get what they needed, and the simmer turned into a pressure cooker. Boom. This is an extreme but important example because sometimes these people are working with us, driving our school buses, teaching our children, and living under the same roof. 

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There are mild versions of unrest happening all around us. My goal is to work with groups to see the benefit of working as a unit. To have compassion and empathy for someone having a bad day. Not everyone has a support network or access to affordable health care. We see bringing your problems to the office or other social settings as inappropriate. Let's be real, some of us are better at faking it. Does it have to eat into an entire workday, no, it can't. Work has to get done. But depending on what someone has going on in their life, and if it's prolonged, faking it is no longer possible. These are the realities. Ignore them at your own peril.

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There is a happy medium. A balance that can be achieved when the realities are embraced. Creative thinking can do wonders for handling all kinds of situations that are currently being ignored. Ignorance is the silent killer of creativity, joy, and passion. The goal is to create an environment that prevents escalation. 

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I feel most employers believe a desk and a paycheck is all thats required, however, that would be a mistake. Will work get done, yes. We it be the most creative version, no. But this is a two-sided coin. If the employee believes I'm here at my desk looking busy for the hours expected, will anyone that matters see value in them? No. It's a cat-and mouse game with both sides feeling as if they are both owed something. Companies want to use the term team, they must mean it. Might as well because we can all smell the lip service a mile away. Learn to create a company culture that is authentic and inclusive. Everyone is responsible. 

 

I'm a magical thinker. I used to reserve this declaration for those closest to me, but given the times and the mindset most are burdened with today, I've learned to embrace it. Yes, there are certain realities, but I do believe in the potential of others. This has impacted the relationships and experiences I have. I don't experience most of what I know others do. I'm not looking for the evidence of all that's wrong. If that were my mindset, id find it and spend all my time telling everyone how right I am about "this world" and feeling like crap.

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I present a way to be in this world but not of it. Look, whatever strategies we've been using are not working very well. It has to be about us. We are all leaves from the same tree. When the root system is healthy, the tree thrives. When neglected, the tree slowly dies, not thriving and looking half-dead. We've even seen trees, dead but still standing. We don't want our workspaces, homes, and classrooms to be that dead tree. Everyone is going through the motions but not thriving. We can achieve success, wild success, but the goal is to achieve while keeping our souls intact. It's impossible not to succeed when we are "us" focused.  

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Careing about the collective is a muscle that needs to be strengthened, but it's already in our intuitive nature to care. It's just become buried underneath all this "advancement" we've "achieved".  

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Long before I decided I wanted to speak publicly about these things, I was speaking publicly about these things. Random conversations and serendipity meetings pointed me in this direction. I know this mindset is like a perfume vapor coming off of me. I meet up with people all the time and end up in conversations that are about this very subject. I was constantly asked if I was a motivational speaker. When I answered no, I was just always looking to be inspired and inspire others. 

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In the middle of the paint aisle in Home Depot, a man told me I had changed his life. 

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This conversation started because he asked my opinion about the paint color he was undecided about. One thing led to another, and our conversation expanded. Magical thinking is what caused this conversation to happen. All I did was share some of these principles; it was effortless. I live them all day everyday. When I'm tested, I know what I need to do and can easily find my balance. I stay open to and always look to be the best version of myself in everything I do and with every person I engage with. It's that simple and that life changing.