Caring Without Giving It All Your Energy
A friend said something this week that I was relieved to hear. She cares so much about what’s happening in the world and has spent a lot of time staying informed and speaking up about the things she believes in, but she’s been questioning how much of her time and energy she wants to spend focused on the fight, especially if it means she isn’t fully present for her life here.
It reminded me of a presentation I gave for Democrats Abroad a while back, based on a session Shirzad Chamine did for Positive Intelligence coaches about navigating challenging times. There were a few ideas from that presentation that feel especially relevant right now.
The Wise Inner Voice
There are moments when my mind starts spinning over the smallest things. A detail that isn’t right. A message that didn’t sound how I meant it. A conversation I replay again and again, wishing I’d said something differently.
It’s easy to lose perspective in those moments, especially if, like me, you lean toward perfectionism. The desire to get things right can quickly turn into an urgency that doesn’t match the reality of what’s happening.
