From our CEO Jackie Kindall
I recently watched a TedTalk that resonated deeply. It was by Adam Grant, a highly impactful Organizational Psychologist. He described a familiar feeling that I’d previously not been able to name. There were times during the pandemic when I just felt “off.” I talked with many friends and colleagues who described the same experience. We were feeling a sense of disconnectedness and “feeling like you’re muddling through your days, looking at your life through a foggy windshield.” According to Organizational Psychologist Adam Grant, this phenomenon is called languishing. “In the early days of the pandemic, a lot of us were struggling with fear, grief and isolation. But as the pandemic dragged on with no end in sight, our acute anguish gave way to chronic languish. We were all living in ‘Groundhog Day.’ It felt like the whole world was stagnating.” (There’s a name for the “Blah” You’re Feeling)
So what’s to be done if you are feeling like this?
In my experience, one of the best ways to overcome this is to practice gratitude. Taking time each day to reflect on the things you are grateful for is critical because it has a direct impact on your happiness.
“How is the connection between happiness and gratefulness? Many people would say, well, that’s very easy. When you are happy, you’re grateful. But think again. Is it really the happy people that are grateful? We all know quite a number of people who have everything that it would take to be happy, and they are not happy because they want something else or they want more of the same. And we all know people who have lots of misfortune, misfortune that we ourselves would not want to have. And they are deeply happy. They radiate happiness. We are surprised – why? – because they’re grateful. So it is not happiness that makes us grateful. It’s gratefulness that makes us happy. If you think it’s happiness that makes you grateful, think again. It’s gratefulness that makes you happy.” (Ted Radio Hour, The Gratitude Chain)
With that in mind, here are some things that I am grateful for.
– My family and close friends who support me in unconditional ways
– My clients who are inclusive leaders committed to creating an equitable and vibrant workplace for their people
-My team of fellow coaches committed to the vision of building organizations that inspire people to do their best work.
-My tribe of fellow professionals working to create businesses of the future that are committed to making a deep impact on society as a whole.
Years and years ago, I worked for a company that wasn’t a good fit for me. During the selection process, I had that feeling in the pit of my stomach that it was not a good match. Let me tell you, from the very first day I learned that instincts are not to be ignored! Despite it all, this opportunity also gave me the opportunity to meet some extraordinary people with shared values and work ethic and we formed our own tribe. The level of support and love we afforded one another is etched into my memories. I would not have met those beautiful humans if I hadn’t made the decision to work for that organization. They are still close friends to this day. Even if you’ve made a mistake like taking the wrong job, life still provides you with gifts like good friends, and ultimately, reasons to be grateful.
