Change Maven Musings: Break Down to Break Through
Real people. Real stories. Real change.
Before something changes, it usually breaks down first. ~The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: A New Paradigm for Sustainable Success, Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, Kaley Warner Klemp
The toughest gate to get through when things are breaking down around us is the mental one. The realization that no matter what we say, think or do after a certain point has passed, it’s not going to stop the inevitable. The breakdown is happening. It has to happen, it must happen, and there’s not a thing we can do about it. Resisting makes it worse, even though it’s often our first, very natural response. We resist, avoid, delay, cover, criticize, rail against the injustice of it all, all in our vain attempts to explain the discomfort and pain away like they’re not happening. If we can find a good enough reason - any reason will do - the breakdown will stop and we can go back to life as normal. Right? Wrong, my dears.
In the breakdown, life has become abnormal, unfamiliar, confusing, and scary as hell because we are moving towards an emerging normal (credit for that term goes to Mike), whether we want to or not. If we choose to, if we can, we try to stay present, to ask questions if we don’t understand, to actually listen to the answers we receive. We try to stay curious and not make assumptions based on our past experiences or what we think is going to happen. Only then, in those moments of open mind and heart-led vulnerability, are we are able to be in the reality of the breakdown. We grab our longboards, race to the shore, and ride the waves of learning, growth, and progress, most of which we may not realize happened until years after the fact. All we remember is riding the crest, crashing more times than we care to admit, and somehow, miraculously, climbing back on for more.
Being human often means we must break down to break through. To expanded perspective, deep growth, true love, and aligned opportunity. If we’re doing it right.