But Why: (If you're like me)
Thank you Katerina Sergeevna

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

Matt Harestad

Sr. Mortgage Specialist at Directors Mortgage NMLS#1948456

1 å¹´

Keep writing and keep praying brother! A transparent peak into our humane lives offers vulnerability and creates a rapport and a closeness not found even in one on one, in person, interactions.

Kawika Maszak

Storyteller | Marketer | Pushing a Signal Through the Noise

1 å¹´

We don't get to choose what shapes us. We do get to choose what we'll learn from it. "Our lives are not our own. We are bound to others, past and present, and by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future.” —— David Mitchel, Cloud Atlas

Andrea Donatucci

Senior Manager @ Accenture | Women's ERG Chapter Co-Lead | Digital Storyteller | Content Curator and Strategist | People Connector

1 å¹´

I somehow missed your earlier “But Why?” musings - but loved this one as the sentiment really resonated with me. My vote is keep writing … whatever is going to “refill your cup” - as I am sure it will be enlightening especially if it comes from your lived experience.

要查看或添加评论,请登录

R. Jason Rowe的更多文章

  • Mama says...

    Mama says...

    As it turns out, while my choice to call it like it is was colorfully accurate and met with very positive response…

    3 条评论
  • Calling it like it is.

    Calling it like it is.

    *Note: This is both a 'build in public' personal journal entry and shameless plug for my company. For a while now, I've…

    4 条评论
  • Could you market or sell if there was no internet?

    Could you market or sell if there was no internet?

    The possibility exists that as a modern sales and marketing professional, you'll have to at some point. Many would…

    3 条评论
  • But Why? (Enoughness)

    But Why? (Enoughness)

    As promised, my last article of 2022 is one of reflection as we all look forward to 2023. The events of the past week…

    10 条评论
  • But Why? (HALO for Demand Gen)

    But Why? (HALO for Demand Gen)

    A HALO jump in the military (and for brave skydivers with a few thousand dollars to spare) is an acronym for "High…

  • But Why? (Humanize Content for Tech)

    But Why? (Humanize Content for Tech)

    *Note: If you are not building, marketing, or selling in the global tech industry, I promise to tie this off with other…

  • But Why? (No Trench Coat Marketing)

    But Why? (No Trench Coat Marketing)

    Pssst. Hey.

    4 条评论
  • But Why? (Top of Mind Awareness)

    But Why? (Top of Mind Awareness)

    From my armchair, top of mind awareness (TOMA) may be one of the most well known but frequently neglected terms in…

    4 条评论
  • But Why? (It's Personal)

    But Why? (It's Personal)

    Conversion storytelling is the art of creating highly personalized stories and experiences to attract, engage, convert,…

    5 条评论
  • "But Why?"

    "But Why?"

    My momma tells me that as a child, my favorite question to any new instruction, introduction, or observation was…

    3 条评论

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了