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We want to be open with you …
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Over the years, we’ve always commented on big situations facing our home towns, our country or globally. Like you, we’re receiving a barrage of emails from businesses and organisations, commenting on current events. We’ve wanted to say something but needed time to think about it before adding our voice to the viral ‘noise’.
In our recent survey, people commented that what they like about us is that we’re ‘real’. And we’re allowing that to dictate the content of this message. This is us, no filters, no toxic optimism, no bravado in the face of COVID-19.
We are scared.
We’re scared for our elderly parents.
We’re scared for asthmatic kids.
We’re scared for the vulnerable in and near and around our families.
We’re nervous as sole traders, already feeling the impact financially
We’re worried about the mental health of our kids.
We’re wondering how much more stress this exhausted world can take
We’re wondering how much more we can take …
But at the same time we’re …
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Seeing a Scottish supermarket packaging free quarantine packs for the elderly
Loving the man in a Canberra store who interrupted a woman’s emotional meltdown yesterday and waltzed with her through the shop
Smiling at Italian balcony singing and stirring jet flyovers
Applauding little girls who spent their pocket money on toilet paper, pulled through a nursing home in a billy cart to give away
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It’s instinctive for people in our line of work to want to ‘look for the helpers’, to re-frame what’s happening and set an example of getting through challenges with a strong mindset, but we think that has a dangerous edge. We’ll never present a wholly optimistic front, because that’s simply not natural. It’s not how we really feel. We’re a swirling mix of emotions, as you might be too, and it’s important to acknowledge that and let those feelings flow through us, rather than fight them. What we resist, persists. Let it all in and let it all out.
We’ll be writing to you during the next few months and we don’t know what that’s going to look like yet, other than to know things are likely to get pretty grim. But we want to reassure you we’ll be here, alongside you, feeling similar things, doing our best, looking for hope, offering a space to talk through it and take actions on the things we can.
Something we’re struggling with is how to present our work to you in the coming months. We’re trying to figure out how to be sensitive in our business marketing, while doing what we can to stay afloat and support our families. We want to be honest with you, it’s frightening having no sick leave or carer’s leave, and already having to cancel face-to-face workshops, events and client coaching. We’ll be creating some easy ways for people to access our content from home, and hope to add some joy and organisation and activity to this unprecedented arrangement we’re all facing. Please let us know if we take any miss-steps.
So, that’s us. How about you? We’d love to hear from you and have a conversation in email or on messenger. What sorts of things would you find helpful from us in the next few months? How can we help, specifically?
For starters, we’re bringing forward the relaunch of our My 15 Minutes program by a few months and are very excited to be sharing the new version on our new Members' Hub soon. If you're already a member - YAY! You'll get to join us for a live round of My 15 Minutes at no cost. We can't wait to share our updated program with you ... we know it will help us all.
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