Choose Again

Every significant undertaking requires periods of rest. As you climb, you must also retreat and allow your body to acclimatize before ascending higher again. When you exercise, you actually adapt and grow stronger while your body recovers. When you lead others, you must also look after yourself. Life and business do not unfold along linear paths and it helps sometimes to pause long enough to enjoy the scenery.

The incomparable John O'Donohue, in his blessing For One Who Is Exhausted, writes: "You have traveled too far over false ground; now your soul has come to take you back." It is a haunting line and can be a harrowing experience. Though never clearly defined and often denied in the context of work, soul is that deep sense of self, that cry for authenticity, that never really lets us go. The more we ignore it, the more it demands attention. When we've been on the wrong path, it calls us back and lets us choose again. These steps backward can feel incredibly frustrating for busy people full of aspirations and short on time. We've got places to go and little patience for scenic routes. The consumption economy runs on instant gratification and short-term results after all. And yet, it is also these moments that let us catch up with ourselves long enough to look up, realign with our north star, remember what matters most, and then discern the path forward once again. As I've been instructed and am learning to appreciate, "we retreat so that we can come back out again."

The last few years have been a collective descent of sorts. A lot has surfaced. Some found a bit of respite. Others were pushed to burnout and beyond. Many are feeling the toll of prolonged and heightened vigilance, while others are impatient to get climbing again! Almost everyone I speak with feels that things are still at least a little more uncertain than we've felt before. This is a time of creative destruction and emergence. Our collective consciousness has expanded awareness of past hurts and presented incredible future possibilities. The statistics and stories around mental health issues indicate challenges people have coping or keeping up. It's okay to rest. Even for leaders. Especially for leaders. I'm encouraged by the conversations I'm having and hearing with entrepreneurs who know they need to look after themselves and who truly care about the people that work with them. And it's amazing to see the platform and product innovations looking to offer solutions. Great organizations like Reboot and Complete Coherence, among many others, are helping leaders realize that results are sourced in happier and healthier people aligned with making a difference...including themselves! This is what our souls demand. No more false ground.

Wherever you are on your journey, know that you are not alone. We need each other. The future needs all of us. Now is a great time to clarify your vision, align your energy, and create your path. Now always offers the chance to choose again.