Find Joy in the Stillness

"Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse..."

These classic lines came to mind this morning, as I sit in the stillness before the rest of the house is up. Even the Bay is quiet - such a contrast from the loud roaring of the ocean we normally hear this time of year when storms pelt the shore. 

In a similar way, this Holiday season has been a quieter one in general with most everything shut down where we live. Admittedly I miss the festivities, our family Christmas parties, the usual hustle and bustle of the mall, and the holiday concerts and parades.

How are you doing friends? I hope you are finding moments of love, joy, and peace in this holiday season. A friend sent a Christmas card with a little humor this year. They gave the usual update on everyone in the family with a few 2020 differences. It went a little like this:

• John transitioned to working from home...
• Kevin's campus closed, so he has been homeschooling this year...
• Jen is a senior and hopes she will get a graduation ceremony in the Spring...
• Mary spent most of the year agonizing how to keep the family safe from COVID-19...
• The rest of the family spent most of 2020 trying to manage Mary's OCD (ha!)...

I am sure you can relate to the strangeness of the year, and as a leader in your business and family doing your best to navigate the continuous change and varying emotions with compassion and resilience.

In some ways, it is hard to believe that the year is almost over. But with 2020 certainly being one that will go down in the history books, I think that all of us are ready to turn the corner on the new year.

Take time to be still

As an Executive Coach one of the success strategies I teach my clients is the power of reflection. This is something I take time for on a regular basis, and especially at year end. This year I have done something a little different and wanted to share with you.

Earlier this month I started a practice of 21 days of reflection. As part of this practice, I have set a few minutes aside every day to just sit in quiet and reflect, and then write down my thoughts. It is amazing how helpful this has been already. Several days in I find myself looking forward to it each day.

Because 2020 has been a turbulent rollercoaster ride, I think it is natural as a business owner and leader to push even harder. This can be necessary for a time, but is also a dangerous path. You have heard me talk about this before.

The fuller your schedule, and the more distracted you are, the more important it is to take time to stop. Doing so calms your mind and lowers your stress.

I encourage you to schedule some time for quiet and reflection this season, whatever this looks like for you. You will be glad you did.