Date: 14 May 2020
Location: Home in San Marcos Lake Atitlan Guatemala.
Our planet is going through an initiation. Planetary initiations affect us all. Large companies to startups. Rich and poor. Every race and every geographic location. Initiations symbolize a time for change. So, how do we navigate an initiation like this? How do we find centredness and instil this in ourselves and our teams?
Imagine change as the cycle from a caterpillar to a butterfly. The caterpillar is aware of the fact that the death of its current form is a reality. The transformational phase or chrysalis is messy. It’s unsexy and it’s uncomfortable. But, it’s necessary, and the nature of change itself. The caterpillar trusts this. Believing that only from this death process can something new immerge. It’s not clinging to its old caterpillar way of doing things. Resisting the natural death and rebirth cycle.
Nature holds ancient wisdom that’s available for us to access if we choose to listen to it. How can we use this deep trust and surrender in our lives and our organisations?
- How do we embrace the process of letting go of old forms, old ideas, old structures?
- How do you create awareness for your team during the chrysalis phase?
- How do we navigate the uncomfortability we’ve been programmed to try and avoid?
Trying to go back to “business as usual” is impossible.
- How do we mourn and allow the old paradigm die?
- How do acknowledge and honour fear?
- How do we prepare to emerge as something completely new?
4 “R’s” of Business Unusual
Successfully navigating major change requires 3 stages. Each stage requires the right tools to support that stage.
Resources: these are the tools and systems required to support each stage. These tools include meditation, emotional release and the acceptance of emotions like fear, frustrations, confusion and grief.
Reflect: a guided process to look back, celebrate, mourn and let go of where we’ve come from. Part of the rebirth cycle is the reframing of death as an integral part of the rebirth process.
Ritual: developing curiosity about what wants to emerge. Allowing teams and individuals to be ok with being in the “not knowing”.
Rebirth: from a place of love and gratitude what could the new future look like? Once we have a new plan how do we stay adaptable to this plan? And, are we prepared and resourced for future uncertainty?
We’re in planetary chrysalis phase.
Organisations trying to navigate this new landscape with old thinking will struggle.
- Many organisations aren’t creating a place for their employees to grieve or recognize their fear.
- Leadership, when people are fearful, is impossible.
- Inspiration can’t happen until people feel safe
Looking back on difficult changes from our past, we’re able to see the resultant growth. The larger the initiation the more we’ve grown.
This transformational stage provides a rare opportunity for organisations and individuals to reemerge, stronger, in a radically new way.
But rebirth only happens if we’re conscious about how we navigate this uncomfortable chrysalis stage.
Do you want your team to reemerge as a butterfly or regress back into “business as usual”?
If you’re interested in learning more about Business Unusual for your organisation or team let me know here.
Lifestyle Design in times of crisis
A recent conversation that I had with Ryan Hawell. Ryan is in charge of a team of 3000 people from One Spa World that work onboard cruise ships. They range from beauty technicians to fitness coaches and hairstylists. Recent COVID events have left his entire team out of work until tourism returns to normal.
Is tourism and it’s affected industries ever going to return to normal?
I was invited onto his internal community broadcast called “Grow with One Spa World”. Our conversation ranged from elements of my new keynote “Business Unusual” to Law of Attraction and some Lifestyle Design tools that can be used in times of crisis.
Thanks for having me on your show Ryan and connecting me with your team.
Microdose May.
Are you looking to improve your personal performance? Show up more focused in your work, exercise and relationships? This month I am going to be experimenting with microdosing psychedelics. The aim is to see if microdoses of these powerful plants have a positive impact on my life and the areas of my life I’m focused on. Read all about it in our latest version of Lifestyle Designer’s Digest here.
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I have been feeling a lot of shifts in my personal life this past week. It’s been unsettling to some parts of me that I feel super solid in. I’ve also heard many people I know going through a lot in their lives. Relationships under pressure, boundary violations, petty crime etc. If you’re going through some craziness, know that it might not be you, or your partner or your family. The collective pressure that the world is under is affecting all of us. Stay centred where you can. Focus on the things that you know to support you. Exercise, eating well, meditation, your routines and quality time with the people that you care about. As hard as it seems (and did for me this week) keep your heart open and look for love!
I hope that things are good with you and those close to you wherever you find yourself in the world right now.
Much love
Gareth