A New Year Like No Other
So given what's been going on in our family, I'm facing a New Year like no other. Let's consider the effect of my personal situation on my work.
We've all had times when our personal lives effect our work. Some of us more than others. But I doubt if anyone - even those jut-jawed, steely-eyed, poker faced types who think they can "power through" everything - is exempt for this. This won't be the first time that some sadness, tragedy, or turmoil in my personal life has impinged on my work. But it's by far the most extreme. So does this extreme degree of personal "stuff" make a difference. Has the straw broken the camel's back? Put simply, am I so overwhelmed that I can't get my work done, or at least done well?
The short answer is: No. I'm pretty confident in saying that. And it's not because I'm jut-jawed, steely-eyed, poker-faced or think I can power through everything.
My confidence begins with faith and trust in God. Don't get me wrong, it's easier to say this than consistently live it. But the reality is that all those years of attending to my spiritual life, studying my religion, availing myself of the graces that flow from the Sacraments, have likely, albeit it subtly, built up some sort of reserve, and a kind of solid foundation in my interior life.
Were this 20, 10, even 5 years ago, I'm not so sure that would be the case. When I began earnestly concentrating on matters religious and spiritual, it was from a rather lowly position. My interior life, if I had one, was shallow, more a wispy ideal than something real and lasting. But even I, from that low starting point, have been able to make some progress (which means you can too). At least that's how it seems so far.
Could God have sent this (what could turn out to be a horrendous) tragedy as a means to demonstrate that I've made progress? (Of course, I'm not saying God struck my son down for my benefit - just that He, in his infinite power and wisdom, can take a single event and apply it in different ways to different people.) Ah, that's an area where I've assiduously avoided speculation. Trying to figure out what God is "thinking" when he allows bad things to happen can easily lead to despair. I've learned over time not to overthink such events, or even to try to think about it at all.
What about the idea that such bad things are somehow in his Great Plan, even to the extent that we're told they're ultimately done for a greater good? Beyond recognizing that many wiser than I have asserted, even reasonably explained why this makes sense, I've found it's best to leave it at that. So I'm not going to sort through my own particular situation and try to find the good emerging from the bad. If it emerges on its own, and manifests itself unmistakably (as it has in some limited ways already), great.
Okay, so there's how it looks from the perspective of my interior life. Let's switch to the practical side of things.
Here we need to reference all that we've shared in these posts regarding the importance of being organized, having systems and processes in place, and being able to attend to those diligently. My business has systems and processes in place (Thanks be to God!). What about attending to them diligently? Isn't that problematic when you're life is turned upside down and there's a storm raging beneath that placid exterior you have to project to get through the day? It certainly can be, but it doesn't have to be. So how do you manage to diligently attend to things in the midst of the storm?
I wish I could offer something dramatic or magical here, but I can't. It simply takes an act of will. You have to have the desire, and then the will to actually execute. The systems and processes, when properly designed, will offer up specific tasks each day that need attending. You check them and attend to them, by hook or by crook. You do this no matter what - within reason. (Of course, if I get a call that there's an emergency that needs my presence immediately, I make adjustments.)
So there it is, a view from my side of the tracks on how to deal with personal turmoil and tragedy and still get your work done. The main point here is that the work must get done. The world goes on despite what may have afflicted your life. Others depend on you. You've made serious commitments that you've got to honor.
And that's how I'll approach this New Year like no other.
We've all had times when our personal lives effect our work. Some of us more than others. But I doubt if anyone - even those jut-jawed, steely-eyed, poker faced types who think they can "power through" everything - is exempt for this. This won't be the first time that some sadness, tragedy, or turmoil in my personal life has impinged on my work. But it's by far the most extreme. So does this extreme degree of personal "stuff" make a difference. Has the straw broken the camel's back? Put simply, am I so overwhelmed that I can't get my work done, or at least done well?
The short answer is: No. I'm pretty confident in saying that. And it's not because I'm jut-jawed, steely-eyed, poker-faced or think I can power through everything.
My confidence begins with faith and trust in God. Don't get me wrong, it's easier to say this than consistently live it. But the reality is that all those years of attending to my spiritual life, studying my religion, availing myself of the graces that flow from the Sacraments, have likely, albeit it subtly, built up some sort of reserve, and a kind of solid foundation in my interior life.
Were this 20, 10, even 5 years ago, I'm not so sure that would be the case. When I began earnestly concentrating on matters religious and spiritual, it was from a rather lowly position. My interior life, if I had one, was shallow, more a wispy ideal than something real and lasting. But even I, from that low starting point, have been able to make some progress (which means you can too). At least that's how it seems so far.
Could God have sent this (what could turn out to be a horrendous) tragedy as a means to demonstrate that I've made progress? (Of course, I'm not saying God struck my son down for my benefit - just that He, in his infinite power and wisdom, can take a single event and apply it in different ways to different people.) Ah, that's an area where I've assiduously avoided speculation. Trying to figure out what God is "thinking" when he allows bad things to happen can easily lead to despair. I've learned over time not to overthink such events, or even to try to think about it at all.
What about the idea that such bad things are somehow in his Great Plan, even to the extent that we're told they're ultimately done for a greater good? Beyond recognizing that many wiser than I have asserted, even reasonably explained why this makes sense, I've found it's best to leave it at that. So I'm not going to sort through my own particular situation and try to find the good emerging from the bad. If it emerges on its own, and manifests itself unmistakably (as it has in some limited ways already), great.
Okay, so there's how it looks from the perspective of my interior life. Let's switch to the practical side of things.
Here we need to reference all that we've shared in these posts regarding the importance of being organized, having systems and processes in place, and being able to attend to those diligently. My business has systems and processes in place (Thanks be to God!). What about attending to them diligently? Isn't that problematic when you're life is turned upside down and there's a storm raging beneath that placid exterior you have to project to get through the day? It certainly can be, but it doesn't have to be. So how do you manage to diligently attend to things in the midst of the storm?
I wish I could offer something dramatic or magical here, but I can't. It simply takes an act of will. You have to have the desire, and then the will to actually execute. The systems and processes, when properly designed, will offer up specific tasks each day that need attending. You check them and attend to them, by hook or by crook. You do this no matter what - within reason. (Of course, if I get a call that there's an emergency that needs my presence immediately, I make adjustments.)
So there it is, a view from my side of the tracks on how to deal with personal turmoil and tragedy and still get your work done. The main point here is that the work must get done. The world goes on despite what may have afflicted your life. Others depend on you. You've made serious commitments that you've got to honor.
And that's how I'll approach this New Year like no other.
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