Embrace your Journey #11

“We need time to move through the pain of loss. We need to step into it, really to get to know it, in order to learn...You will heal and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same nor would you want to.”― Elisabeth Kübler-Ross* and David Kessler**

We all feel the pain of loss at some point in our lives. With the COVID-19 pandemic many of us felt the loss of a loved one, or at least the loss of physical connection, the loss of gathering, the loss of life as it used to be.

As a massive search for survivors of the June 24th condo building collapse in Surfside Florida continues, we stand in respect and solidarity for the loss of the grieving families.

As David Kessler said in a recent podcast we share below,

Actually, in his book "Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief" he explains that

He goes on by saying that we don't recover from grief, we live with it, and we are forever changed. Healing comes from this process and finding meaning, not in the death or loss itself, but in us and in what we do after can be a cushion.

His invitation, which I extend to you today, is to honor grief, and to look for meaning as you rebuild. He does not say it is easy, but it is possible. So how do you get started? Since we all experience life differently, I am not in the position to prescribe anything, but to challenge you to keep asking questions, to keep reflecting upon what matters to you. I hope you will find some inspiration below and enjoy your journey!

Cheers,

Adriana Machado

Founder at Briyah Institute

As we learned from Humberto Maturana in the previous newsletter that innovation is not an object but a relational dynamic, in which we are both creative and conservative, what is it that you want to conserve in finding meaning while rebuilding?

How about taking a look at the concept of regeneration? Here is conversation with Daniel Christian Wahl on the topic of "education for regenerative cultures" recorded during the "Re-imagining Education" Conference organized by Ecoversities in March 2021. Amongst other good points for reflection, he reminds us that "all our actions affect the future all the time", which is a pretty interesting perspective to keep in mind while innovating.

Meaning can also be present in what we work with. So are you keeping up to speed with the latest in E.S.G. practices? Our webinar on how Suez and Suzano are leading in their respective sectors will provide you with great insights. Check the conversation between?Adriana Machado,?Jon Freedman?and?Marcela Porto?to learn about concrete examples of achievements, challenges and opportunities for collaboration.

Another good practice to keep applying has to do with promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and being anti-racist. Check a great read entitled "Enough of the psychobabble. Racism is not something to fix with therapy" by neurobiologist and writer Kenan Malik and continue to reflect upon this relevant topic.?

June is the month of Juneteenth, a federal holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. You may learn more about it in an article by Vanessa Romo entitled "One Woman's Decades-Long Fight To Make Juneteenth A U.S. Holiday".

June 28 is also Pride Day, marking the date in history when the first pride march was held in New York City in 1970.?Good opportunity to get acquainted with guidelines for good governance and respect for LGBTI+ rights.

Why does grieving matter? How can finding meaning help us deal with losses in a specific and in a broader sense? Take a listen in what?Brené Brown?and David Kessler are saying, reflect upon it and get to action.?

Looking for further insights???Join us for the CEO Meet & Master Program as a participant?or talk to us about sponsoring a group to promote diversity & inclusion by empowering leaders to apply systems thinking to business.?Registration for the September cohort?is open?and we look forward to having you as a part of the Briyah ecosystem.

“The pandemic will show us the consequences of grief being unwitnessed in the future, and the continued racial injustices are showing us the consequences of death and grief not being witnessed in the past. We are all going through collective loss, and we want to come back with a better world. One with posttraumatic growth, not posttraumatic stress. We want all our losses, big and small -- job losses, postponed milestones, and cancelled funerals -- to be marked and noted. We don't want our grief to be lost to time. We want to find meaning.” ―?David Kessler

At?Briyah Institute?we bridge innovation, practice and purpose to inspire leaders to transform organizations co-creating an impact economy.

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*Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, MD, [1926–2004] was a Swiss-born psychiatrist, humanitarian, and co-founder of the hospice movement around the world. She was also the author of the groundbreaking book On Death and Dying, which first discussed The Five Stages of Grief. Elisabeth authored twenty-four books in thirty-six languages and brought comfort to millions of people coping with their own deaths or the death of a loved one. Her greatest professional legacy includes teaching the practice of humane care for the dying and the importance of sharing unconditional love. Her work continues by the efforts of hundreds of organizations around the world, including The Elizabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation.

**?David Kessler is the world’s foremost expert on grief. His experience with thousands of people on the edge of life and death has taught him the secrets to living a fulfilled life, even after life’s tragedies. He coauthored On Grief and Grieving and Life Lessons with Elizabeth Kübler-Ross and You Can Heal Your Heart: Finding Peace After a Breakup, Divorce or Death with Louise Hay. He is the author of Finding Meaning: the Sixth Stage of Grief (final quote from page 257); Visions, Trips, and Crowded Rooms; and The Needs of the Dying, praised by Mother Teresa. He is the founder of www.grief.com which has over five million visits yearly from 167 countries.