One thing we have discovered in our post-pandemic world is that many of us are not moving forward in our beliefs, careers, relationships, and health (both mental and physical).
Move Forward by Pausing for Reflection
To help us take some steps forward, we need to recognize what’s holding us back and how our thinking has either slowed our progress or changed our paths. I’ve created a series of questions to help stimulate conversation.
How to Use These Questions
Start by answering the questions yourself, then gather a group of friends or family members who have a wide variety of political preferences. If you don’t have friends that think differently than you, make it a point to expand your circle and invite this group to a discussion forum.
Send these questions in advance and set some ground rules i.e. no interrupting, stay on topic, give equal time for sharing, etc.). It’s important to really try to understand the viewpoints of another. This means, in part, asking questions to clarify, summarizing to ensure understanding, and being careful in how you reply. You could even spread these questions out over multiple gatherings like a supper club!
Physical and Mental Health
· If you were fortunate enough to not be sick with lingering side effects, what is one thing that you always wanted to do but haven’t done yet that you could enjoy as a vibrant person without health issues?
· Are we slow to recover because of the far-reaching ramifications caused by extended sickness? Again, we all know people that medical professionals didn’t think were going to make it. Their health and lifestyle will forever be altered. For those affected, some will have regrets about things they will never be able to do because of the impact of COVID-19.
· Can we not move forward because we are motivated by fear which drives people to irrational behavior?
· Think about a time that you were paralyzed by fear. How did it feel in the moment? Were your fears legitimate? If not, explain why they weren’t.
· How have you lived your life differently as a result of overcoming fear?
Loss
· Can we not move forward because we have experienced personal loss? Nearly everyone knows someone personally who lost a loved one a friend or a family member – my family and I did. Think about the circumstances surrounding this person’s life and death. How would they want you to continue a legacy or challenge that they started? How would they want you to live now?
· Who have you lost communication with because of a difference in the way you think about the pandemic?
Social Issues
· Why was there a spike in crime? Looking back on it, how could we have handled crime differently? What is the secret to reducing and hopefully preventing violent crime?
· What social issues are you passionate about? What hot topic issues leave you cold?
Government and Leadership
· If you were thinking about running for elected office, what would your platform include? What would be your most important legislation to pass? Who would you align with/avoid?
· Can we not move forward because of a lack of trust for people in leadership in government, business, faith communities, etc.? Whom do you trust? Why? What is important about having trust in elected officials, business leaders, and persons who lead faith-based organizations?
Philosophies and Beliefs
· Is the far right or the far left pushing our buttons? Who is “off-their-rocker”? Who says or does things to elicit a response? Is anyone outright lying, or have they used their extreme views for political advantage?
· Was any of the pandemic-related consequences manufactured for an agenda? If so, what was their agenda? Have those who pushed an agenda been successful?
· Whom do you believe? Who is lying? Talk about a time when you were hurt by a lie. Discuss situations for which you stretched the truth or outright lied. How did you handle the situation?
· Is there a conspiracy theory at work now? What are some common conspiracy theories that have generated interest over the years?
Finally, is there any humor that has happened recently that you can now laugh about? I know it’s a stretch but I do know that whatever you look for you will often find.
#relaxation #leadershipdevelopment #pausitivity #pause #laugh
