How are you? I’m on vacation today, but you all are on my mind. I’ve received a number of very thoughtful messages expressing how much these messages help, so today I want to send out some love and care.
There used to be a silly commercial on TV that keeps playing in my mind these days. The scene is the Wild West, with a grisly cowboy figure asking a frightened citizen, “What do you want on your tombstone?” It was a commercial for Tombstone Pizza (I’ve never tried one). Surprisingly (not surprisingly?!) the line didn’t make me think of sausage and pepperoni. It always provoked me to think, “What do we want to be known for?” A deep thought for a pizza commercial!
This is a great question for self-reflection. What are you known for? What do you want to be known for? Are there gaps in those two questions? If so, what can you start working on to align them? I’ve been seeing articles on how you can tell about a company’s culture and values by how they’re treating their employees at a time like this. What are we known for as public servants? What is your team known for? What has challenged you and your team these past few weeks? What can you do?
I can’t be the best “I” for others or even help others if I don’t know myself and haven’t worked on developing myself. Something I’ve found helpful lately is asking myself the 6 Daily Quarantine Questions (from the Greater Good Science Center at Berkeley). Here they are for your daily exercise, enjoyment and reflection:
- What are you grateful for today?
- Who are you checking in on or connecting with today?
- What expectations of “normal” are you letting go of today?
- How am I getting outside today?
- How am I moving my body today?
- What beauty am I either creating, cultivating or inviting in today?
If there is anything I can help you or your team with, please feel welcome to reach out. Stay well!