originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press
It’s definitely “interesting” to go into the grocery store and see empty shelves that had been full of my favorite fruit imported from Mexico. But that pales in comparison to hearing that my sister-in-law is back in the hospital emergency room. Yes, we live longer, but the consequences aren’t so sweet. Then there’s the friend visiting family in Utah who thankfully let us know that he was safe after the shooting of a No King protester. I’m not going to worry about him, but there’s plenty of worry to go around. My step-daughter and her four boys live in Israel, just outside of Jerusalem. She reported hearing the air raid sirens go off five times in one night as Iran and Israel entered what looks like a “full stage war” to achieve total victory. How do we manage this vast array of upheavals?
Looking for answers to this question, I went to my LinkedIn group and asked: “What do you need to survive and thrive in our challenging world?” Here’s one response that was blunt and to the point, “I need the strength to keep going”. Another friend who’s a professor and advisor to corporate boards put that a bit more intellectually: “We need self-care and boundaries to maintain our own psychological safety.” She added a perspective that encourages us to not give up. “The world has gone through worse times; civilization has gone through worse times. We survived and thrived. We shall, again.”
How do we get through these times? My friends weren’t shy about the changes needed to get through these times. “Thriving requires being part of a relational ecosystem, a kind and caring village, where mentorship, guidance, and friendship are not transactional but transformative; where wisdom and opportunity are passed laterally and intergenerationally; and where safe spaces provide the necessary psychological safety to grow, reflect, vent, cry, and take strategic risks. This village operates through mutual uplift, where each person’s progress contributes to the strength of the whole, and where power is not hoarded but distributed through networks of support, advocacy, and affirmation.”
Friends gave great advice on how to personally engage this relational ecosystem: “Maintain your inner ecosystem. Breathe first; awareness follows. Tune mind, heart, and gut like a three-string instrument: meditate for clarity, love for coherence, move/eat clean for courage”. There was encouragement to look into the future, have a vision for a better world, and be creative in making that vision come to pass. Here’s one of my creative visionaries sharing how he’s working on his vision: “I’m investing more time in nonviolent communication, especially in listening to the emotional background and needs of people before judging their intent in order to work together in solving common problems.”
There were many echoes of the importance of positive communication. “We need to be there for each other.” And one of my favorites, “Provide and welcome encouragement. Assume positive intent until proven otherwise.” “We need moderate voices to speak up.” I couldn’t agree more! And I’m so impressed that many of these folks translate this positivity into action by supporting organizations that can help build a creative future. Their work helps build diverse communities, environmental-friendly neighborhoods, and educational opportunities across generations.
I’m inspired by these friends who articulate so well how they handle these chaotic times and what is needed to do so. Our anxieties won’t disappear, but we shouldn’t give up hope. Invest in a better future and get active in a community project that inspires you. Then, let your positivity inspire someone else to do the same. We can get through these interesting times!
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