Questions

It is not original to say that the first half of 2020 feels like decades instead of months. I’ve spoken with many of you in the aftermath of George Floyd’s tragic death and the subsequent powerful protests. The pain and the loss – for too many black lives for too long – is immeasurable. And, all the while, quite literally, the Covid air floats around in the background – a low level anxiety – and heaps of uncertainty. 

True to my style, I am slow to process and absorb up the energy that I hear from all of you. I keep waiting for the message to get clear, so I can write about it. It’s too scattershot though – maybe my own signals are so overflowing that I’m not getting the clear read. So I’m here now with what I’ve got. 

Like I’d imagine that you are, I’ve been doing a lot of reading, reflecting – and trying to be an even better listener. Asking questions to all of you is what I do for a living, here’s some of the ones I’m asking of myself. Maybe some of these are floating around for you too?

I’ve been feeling uncomfortable a lot these days – that’s ok. What is the source (s) of my discomfort and where does it live in my body? How can I become friends with it as a powerful force for change? 

I’m getting up close and personal with biases that I wasn’t aware I had – blindspots – specifically racial; how I do keep on this road of discovery so I can course correct and fill these in?

How can I more closely align my beliefs, my values and my actions? More specifically, how can I move from a belief that I am not racist to an active antiracist stance? What will I do – or how will I be – differently? 

What is the relationship between pain and growth for me right now?  

There’s been a lot of grief and loss in recent months, what stage(s) am I currently experiencing and how do I want to move through them?

How do I make sense of the global connectedness that Covid has highlighted with the inequity in how it has transpired?

How do I balance safety with connection as we step back out from Covid shutdown? My natural hugger-ness is struggling. 

What forms does impact take for me? And, with that knowledge in hand, what is my own best next step? There’s more; this is but a sample. It’s busy inside Karyn these days ?. What is ruminating around with you right now? What is sticky or getting turned upside down for a closer look? What new ideas have germinated? What are you learning about yourself and what actions is that opening up for you?