I miss being together in real life.
I'm just going to say it. I miss being together in real life, don't you, ?
As we near the one-year mark of living (almost) virtually, I'm thinking about the "aha" moments I've had along the way. Here are just a few:
I can do hard things. (And, you can, too.)
Channeling this quote from Glennon Doyle, it became more than something motivational to put on a coffee mug. I actually CAN do hard things!
In the 48 hours the country transitioned into lockdown last March, I lost 90% of the planned revenue for my business, which was largely in-person training and events. Whoa. It felt like a punch in the gut.
Like so many others, I got creative, pivoted (ugh, let's make that word go away), and started showing up to serve where I could. Coaching and change management skills were critical as we were all navigating massive change. And, you know what? I ended the year with almost the same revenue as the year before! I was shocked -- and so very thankful.
Women are freaking amazing. (I know, right?!)
Not that this wasn't already obvious, but WOW, the level at which women stepped up during this time demonstrates that we are the glue that holds all things together. It also demonstrated how far we have to go in building support structures for all women when it comes to caring for family members, particularly women of color and those on the front lines.
When we look back at how we tracked down toilet paper and hand sanitizer, set up school rooms and offices in our homes, checked in on the people in our community, tried to make things fun and interesting, and stayed connected with one million Zoom calls, it's exhausting to think about. And, we did it. Because women are freaking amazing.
We need community. (Real community.)
None of us did this alone. But some of us were more alone than others...and some of us are feeling more alone now than we did at the start of the pandemic. Please hear me, you are not alone.
When things started to go downhill last March, I was so grateful to have a combination of work friends, mom friends, and good ole girlfriends to call on. It was my lifeline. After the adrenaline wore off, I found myself seeking out deeper discussions. Discussions about why we work, what it's all for, and how to make things better.
(To be fair, I also sought out some light conversations that didn't make me use my brain too much...anyone else want to talk about Bridgerton?!)
At the end of the day, it all comes back to having a community. A place to have those deep discussions (and the shallow ones too, sometimes). A place to connect with familiar faces and meet new ones. A place to speak openly about your challenges and know others have them too. A place you can count on full of people you can count on.