My Current Mores
This started in my head as a Top Ten list of things to keep in mind during "these uncertain times." But then I realized that there are just a few core things that I am clinging to right now. Maybe they resonate with you:
1. Do NOT pin anything to any specific date right now. This one is maybe the hardest. We humans plan and we do not do well with uncertainty. We want a day that this will be over. We want the current Stay-At-Home in Minnesota to be over on May 4, because that's the end date the governor currently has in place. But that's not how this works. There's no one magic date. And the sooner we all get used to that uncertainty, the better off we will be at really getting on with today and preparing for tomorrow. The Head of School for Beatrix's school just announced "We are operating under the assumption that students will not return for the balance of the 2019-20 academic year and that they will complete their studies through our Distance Learning programs in each division." It was hard to read, but endlessly better than "We'll do distance learning through May 15 and then let you know."
2. Be kind. If you can do something nice for someone right now, do it. Even if someone can't see you smile behind your mask, just maybe they realize you are by the way your eyes crinkle up at the side and it makes them feel better. When we are out on our endless walks because it's all we can do, look each other in the eye and acknowledge them — I promise you won't get the virus from a glance from 10 feet away. This is something we can all give and do right now. And at the same time....
3. Accept help. You don't have to do this on your own. People feel better when they can help others. It makes a united team, and we could all use that feeling that we are on a team (from a safe distance apart) right now.
4. Try not to make assumptions (and have patience with those who inadvertently do so). We're all tired and emotional and doing too much right now. We are at high risk for taking something wrong. Yesterday I lost a ton of time when someone spiraled an online workgroup by passing on some incorrect information (that they assumed was correct, and I am sure they were trying to help.) That wrong information turned out to be someone else putting together information that had accidentally mixed up details of a couple of rapidly-changing assistance programs. I spent a lot of panicked time tracking down details, when probably everything would have been a lot better off if I just let it go for awhile. Give everyone the wide benefit of the doubt.
5. Things are changing fast. This one maybe summarizes all four or the above points. From funding programs to deadlines to the way someone feels, something can be 100% true one minute and totally inaccurate the next. It takes a lot of rolling with it.
YOU are important to me. I hope that you have things like this that you are clinging to as your core values right now, and I would love to hear them. If it helps you to adopt some of mine, please do — and maybe I'll take on some of yours!
1. Do NOT pin anything to any specific date right now. This one is maybe the hardest. We humans plan and we do not do well with uncertainty. We want a day that this will be over. We want the current Stay-At-Home in Minnesota to be over on May 4, because that's the end date the governor currently has in place. But that's not how this works. There's no one magic date. And the sooner we all get used to that uncertainty, the better off we will be at really getting on with today and preparing for tomorrow. The Head of School for Beatrix's school just announced "We are operating under the assumption that students will not return for the balance of the 2019-20 academic year and that they will complete their studies through our Distance Learning programs in each division." It was hard to read, but endlessly better than "We'll do distance learning through May 15 and then let you know."
2. Be kind. If you can do something nice for someone right now, do it. Even if someone can't see you smile behind your mask, just maybe they realize you are by the way your eyes crinkle up at the side and it makes them feel better. When we are out on our endless walks because it's all we can do, look each other in the eye and acknowledge them — I promise you won't get the virus from a glance from 10 feet away. This is something we can all give and do right now. And at the same time....
3. Accept help. You don't have to do this on your own. People feel better when they can help others. It makes a united team, and we could all use that feeling that we are on a team (from a safe distance apart) right now.
4. Try not to make assumptions (and have patience with those who inadvertently do so). We're all tired and emotional and doing too much right now. We are at high risk for taking something wrong. Yesterday I lost a ton of time when someone spiraled an online workgroup by passing on some incorrect information (that they assumed was correct, and I am sure they were trying to help.) That wrong information turned out to be someone else putting together information that had accidentally mixed up details of a couple of rapidly-changing assistance programs. I spent a lot of panicked time tracking down details, when probably everything would have been a lot better off if I just let it go for awhile. Give everyone the wide benefit of the doubt.
5. Things are changing fast. This one maybe summarizes all four or the above points. From funding programs to deadlines to the way someone feels, something can be 100% true one minute and totally inaccurate the next. It takes a lot of rolling with it.
YOU are important to me. I hope that you have things like this that you are clinging to as your core values right now, and I would love to hear them. If it helps you to adopt some of mine, please do — and maybe I'll take on some of yours!
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