Inexorability

Change and evolution are inexorable.

What this means is change cannot be stopped.

Why? Because change is.

Just like energy is.

We don’t control them.

We accept them as contextual elements of life and living so we get good at working with them over time.

At a certain point in the process of learning to build this muscle to be with and lead change, you may even begin to enthusiastically engage it. For the moment, just keep practicing through the punches and the rebounds.

They are your teachers.

Feeling victimised by change is understandable. It can be and feel so disappointing. You are human. Hold yourself there.

Feel your feelings (rather than bypass them), and then flex that new muscle of moving responsively out of your sympathetic nervous system and into aware action.

Aware action may at first be stepping outside to get some air. Walking away from the screens that can act as triggers. Get up higher in whichever way you work to see the forest through the trees.

Ask yourselves:

• What are you behaving in the face of change?

• How are you leading others as the world shifts around them?

• What narrative are you spinning up as a coping mechanism?

• Does that narrative vibe high or vibe low?

• Are you putting out into the collective words that count to elevate and improve the collective?

• Are you thoughtfully shaping and designing the moments as an embodied example for the team and organisation, even when the moments feel wildly confronting? 

• How are you directing your energy, mindfully and responsibly or unconsciously and irresponsibly?

Martyrs, heroes, (and narratives) are usually fear-based performances. Mind the archetype who emerges from within your ego structure "to control the situation."

Obstacles and re-directions are meant to be met, interacted with, and used with wisdom for forward progression. Forward progression into a broader perspective, using higher skill and deepening capability, a bigger heart, braver soul, and a kinder self.

In the process, you will land in a better role, a different business that needs your now skillset, on a new team meant to grow and stretch you, another co-creating network of good humans.

I promise you.

We are meant to broaden, expand, and move beyond — by design. That is how the universe, life, and work works.

She hasn’t really designed it to be comfy and stable. That’s all just your monkey mind faking you out, working the snake charms of denial, ego, and a game of matrix small ball.

Attend to your work.

Try harder to not allow your own resistance to the surrounding changes consume you. You'll miss the cues, easter eggs, and flickers.

Steer into the wind.

Begin to measure your time to recovery. That time window narrowing is you healing and acting healthier. It also disables the sympathetic nervous system response of "orating", "martyring", and "dying on swords" for public consumption.

• Exercise your power by experimenting with not playing the victim or the hero.

• Instead lead folks in a new, honest, useful narrative.

• Design moments where you and they find agency and authenticity in the discomfort.

• Speak your hearts while continuing to be in the integrity of the work and the team.

• Resist the urge to not chase each new provocation, spiraling the collective into a deeper victim narrative.

Gratitude is a good elixir to lift you out of the downward spiral.

Acknowledge the constant movement and flows. Develop mastery with new starts (remembering they always begin with endings) while feeling grateful for the people, experiences, and lessons recently gained. This is good medicine to spread. Appreciate yourself and your growth, non-indulgently, alongside the ouchies.

Stop looking for someone to blame or demonise. 

Nobody is out to get you.

Life is this.

Grieve. Feel. Take stock. And then get on with it.

As individuals.

As collectives.

As systems.

A new chapter awaits that you are meant to walk and lead through.

It's already been written.