But Why: (If you're like me)

If you're like me, you're flabbergasted that somehow, April 2023 is nearly over.

It's been months since I last published a "But Why" installment just before the end of 2022. I'm not gonna lie — I've started, got distracted, and eventually deleted at least three articles between then and now. I could cite a number of accurate observations relating to writer's block, but the truth is, I've just allowed life, work, and depleted inspiration to win.

Being completely transparent — since we last connected, I've:

• Learned I'm going to become "Poppy" to my first grandchild this summer
• Learned my son has continued the streak of adding boys to our family tree
• Celebrated turning 50
• Celebrated our youngest son turning 18
• Coped with a family member's advancing MS
• Coped with a family member's new cancer diagnosis
• Coped with the death of a father figure
• Still coping with multiple teen loved ones battling depression/suicidal thoughts
• Still coping with my bride's chronic health issues
• Still coping with adult care for a son with autism/ID in a state with no services

There's more. Lot's more.

But that's a short(ish) list of life's firehose celebrations and challenges I've "managed" in the first quarter of this year. I haven't even touched on work, and an incredibly heavy "lift and shift" workload, or the fact that my executives, peers, and coworkers are largely unaware that these things have been my reality.

Sound familiar?

To be honest, I've never been more exhausted or felt "this old" in my life, while simultaneously being completely at peace. I'm more grateful than ever for my family and the people I get to work with everyday, and I celebrate small victories daily (at home and work) knowing they will lead to very positive outcomes in the long run.

But there's a lot of stress going around today.

Pain is as high as I've witnessed with the amount of division, war, hate, discrimination, inequality, poverty, depression, anxiety, apathy, murder, suicide, genocide, trafficking and slavery, and a laundry list of other bad behaviors and paradigms that persist globally.

There's also a lot of professional stress going around in the post-Covid, uncertain economy, RIFs, plummeting eSAT/eNPS scores, great resignation, slow re-hiring, untenable education and healthcare costs, a growing "call out" culture, and equally long list of business challenges from Main Street to the largest global enterprises.

If you're like me, in the face of all this wanton stress, you have a tendency to:

• Take on more than you should
• Not ask for help when you need it
• Say, "I'm good" when asked how you're doing (especially when you're not)

You get the gist.

But Why?

If you're like me, you're pouring out more than you're being poured into. You don't always eat, sleep, hydrate, or exercise like you should.

If you're like me, work-life balance is too often attempted on a high tight rope, with no net, while riding a warped unicycle.

If you're like me, you're chagrined that life in the bingo box never has a shortage of madly bouncing balls that can only be handled one at a time - with no guarantees of winning.

If you're like me, you've noticed that it doesn't seem like the collective "we" is stopping to breathe enough. To see each other enough. To intentionally connect enough.

So, I felt compelled to stop, take a breath, and to let you know I've been thinking about you. To let you know I see you, and that I appreciate you.

If you're like me, maybe this will inspire you to do the same.

That's why.

Up Next

TBD, but I'd be keen to hear your thoughts on which of the following would be of most interest to you:

1. Continue this "But Why?" series on conversion storytelling (and epiphanies)
2. Business/life learnings from being an Autism dad
3. Strategic/Tactical "How To" insights learned since in 1992
4. All of the above
5. Other

If you care to comment with your druthers, I'll roll with the majority vote.

If not, thanks as always for reading and I'll let you know where we land.

Jay