Finding Solid Ground in a Shaky Time
This is not an easy time to be a leader. It’s actually not an easy time to be human! AI is both promising and intimidating… and fuels the latest panic to get ahead in the race for technological dominance. Business costs are soaring while competition gets fiercer and margins get smaller. Relationships are precarious. Politics are a shit-show, pardon my French.
Let’s be honest: It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, anxious, and simply exhausted.
In the midst of this darkness, Gravitas beckons to us from a deep, ancient source of wisdom. What does it say to us? This is what I hear—and I’d love to hear what you are sensing as well.
Underneath the storm of circumstance, there is a Rock of Reality that is unfazed by all of our human drama. The mystics of past ages tapped into this deeper sense of well-being that belied the many real but superficial threats of their eras as well. If you and I are going to thrive in the 21st century, we must cultivate an abiding connection with this subterranean Ground of Being, to use Paul Tillich’s language.
This cosmic stability must then be echoed in our own deeper, divine foundation. In other words, this is the reality that most spiritual practices awaken in us. Whether you call it grounding, centering prayer, or mindfulness, it’s about reconnecting with what is True and Stable within ourselves. Christians would call this, Christ in you, the hope of a good future.
Finally, Gravitas calls us to define and actually practice our own personal rhythms of renewal. Again, the ancients with their embodied spiritual awareness help us to reclaim this essential part of our humanity. The Celt sensibilities of the 4th – 6th centuries, for example, were deeply woven into the natural order of creation, rhythms that were constantly reinforced by festivals and rituals.
Like the ancients, we take our stand in our day, a time of global and economic threat not unlike most seasons in human history (with the daunting addition of nuclear codes in the hands of unstable leaders). What does it look like for us to tap into cosmic and personal Shalom? Here are a few practical applications:
A Trusted Ally. We all need someone to process your angst with. Whether counselor, coach, or soul friend, this is the way we make meaning out of our circumstances.
Divine Connection. Whether religious or not, as spiritual beings we simply cannot thrive without a relationship with the transcendent. Find one now.
Earth Connection. Nothing is as emotionally and spiritually re-centering as communion with God in natural beauty. Make this a priority.
Self Connection. This primarily happens in the classic practices of solitude, stillness, and silence. Whether it’s an hour, a day, or a week, this will absolutely re-ground your soul in Gravitas. And if you need a guide for your personal retreat, I can provide that.
Your leadership can thrive for the long run, and I’m here to help.