I remember reading about the explosion of Mt. St. Helens here in Oregon that took place in 1980 and the regeneration that has occurred since then. On that day all those years ago, a column reaching 15 miles above the Earth pumped out volcanic ash for more than nine hours and darkened the skies for more than 100 miles. Today, the emergence of plants and animals from that destruction has amazed scientists and biologists alike.
I also recently read an excerpt from a graduation speech President Obama gave at Notre Dame University. He said, “Ours is a history of renewal and reinvention, where each generation finds a way to adapt, thrive and push the nation forward with energy, ingenuity and optimism.”
Our ability to renew ourselves is especially important in our work life. Part of what keeps us fully engaged is our level of commitment to something and when we get worn out, our commitment goes down and we just don’t have the energy to meet the challenges of work.
To offer some good ways to deal with this, I’m sharing some thoughts on the topic from the book “Leadership and the New Science” by Margaret Wheatley.
“Renewal is a time to tell the truth about what is so, and then to face that truth. It is the time to heal our selves; to remember who we are. And when we remember who we are, we bring our authentic selves forward.
“Renewal is a time to surrender what is no longer useful. There is often an aspect of death in renewal, as letting go may require the end of a way of thinking or operating, the end of a product line, closing down a factory, letting go of a dream. The very act of renewal is a surrender of doing. Renewal may or may not be experienced as struggle, depending on how attached we are to that which no longer serves us. Edith Weiner, in ‘Six Principles for Revitalizing your Planning,’ explains that ‘the initial key to effective strategic thinking is not learning, but rather forgetting. It requires unlearning and the shedding of old, misguided assumptions.’
“Once we let go, we often experience a sense of release and new energy. We also experience a sense of spaciousness. The often irresistible temptation is to fill that space immediately, as not knowing may be very uncomfortable. This space is best used as a time of questioning and allowing. This space may last a moment, a week, or several months or more in time. This space is the rich, fertile ground out of which true vision emerges.
“Here are some of the most common forms of support that exist during the renewal process:
–Collegiality and cooperation: friendly association with co-workers who are cooperative in their actions and constructive in their observations
–Acceptance: acknowledgment and approval
–Advocacy: backing and endorsement
–Permission to fail: leeway to make mistakes and learn from them
–Information: news about the business and the organization
–Feedback: data about one’s abilities, prospects and reputation
–Flexibility: options to tailor a job to one’s own strengths or circumstances
–Stress relief: reducing anxiety and tension by accommodating family and other outside demands, and preventing on the job hostilities
–No limitations: allowing people to take on as many challenges as they wish and to support them in stretching themselves so they are no longer limited by false ideas about what’s possible for themselves, their teammates or the organization.”
I have found it helpful to apply some of these forms of support that naturally occur during the process of renewal. You may also find the value in applying some of Wheatley’s ideas. See where you have the opportunity to create something new, either in its own right or by transforming something old. There are special times during the year like spring or new year’s when it’s a wonderful time for creating new life, new ideas and new approaches. Our ability to renew and regenerate ourselves and others is infinite. Take advantage of the season at hand and, as the Obama suggested, push forward with energy, ingenuity and optimism.
Kathleen