I am officially that person again. You know the one who waits until the very last minute to start on a project, a presentation, a blog. I am the procrastinator and somehow feel at peace with it. In this moment as I type these words, I am 2.5 hours away from turning over a completed blog, ready for your eyes to see and hearts and minds to appreciate and contemplate. Deep breathing, centering and here I go. This is going to be interesting.
I am not one to make excuses or attempt to justify my behavior. I stopped doing that years ago when I finally realized I get to choose. Yes, I choose what I am going to do and how I am going to do it. I choose to let someone else’s behavior effect me or not. I choose where I am going and when. So yes, I chose to be in this predicament. Maybe I thought I would produce a better blog if I waited or maybe I am so distracted with everything swimming around in my mind that I magically believed the right topic would clear itself from all the jumble, flag me down and poof the glorious words would start flowing.
I’ve been writing long enough to know there is thought, conceptualization, planning and some inspiration that go into creating. With that said, I also know that there is some trust and knowing at the right time the right words form on the page. The right story told and the right people reached. This is the magical part. I chose to wait and now I get to tell you the exact story you need to hear in this moment. (Well, that’s my story and I am sticking to it.)
Here’s what you need to read, IT IS ALL GOING TO BE MORE THAN OKAY. For so many reasons and in so many ways it is going to be okay. Not because I say so, because human beings are resilient, and are surrounded in love and compassion for one another. Every day there are more examples of the beauty in humanity than the ugly. Everyday neighbors and friends help one another out to make each other’s day a bit brighter. These acts of kindness happen all day long every day and somehow get overshadowed by the one ugly act. Don’t let the ugly wash out the beautiful. We let this happen way too often, I know because I am guilty of it. The negative messaging is powerful and can bring us down without us even knowing that it’s happening. It grabs hold of us and we become defenseless. Staying aware, acknowledging, and being grateful for the good (even the little bits of good) and knowing what you need to support your commitment to the good stuff is going to keep the beautiful flowing.
This brings me to what I initially thought I would write to you about. SUMMER! Everything about summer is beautiful to me. The heat, the extended day light, the fireflies, the gorgeous night skies, the beach, swims in the lake, the heat (yes, I said it again), the ocean, bike rides, the ease, half day Fridays, I could go on for paragraphs. I think you get what I am saying. No need to carry on. I could in another post if you would like me to. I’d probably start writing immediately.
So, here’s what I’d like to know. Have you forgotten it’s summer? Are you so wrapped up in the ugly that you forgot to look up and see the beauty in front of you? Have you gone to the beach, the lake, the park, the mountains?
If you are like a lot of people I know right now, you are so focused on work, what’s going to happen with school in September and the uptick in cases that you forgot to get out and enjoy summer. Last month I wrote to you about the decision-making process of whether to open schools or not and a lot of the fear being thrown into the process. To follow up, I did write to the superintendent of my children’s school district and within a week I had a zoom meeting with her and the district director of social emotional learning. I left my place of analysis and swung into activation. They both were receptive to what I shared and we had a very productive conversation. I share this with you to remind you, you get to choose. I chose to activate (I am a twin and actually did the “wonder twins activate” move with my sis often) and do what I know to help our school administrators made a decision based in what they know and not what they fear. As a leadership coach this is what I could offer to my community.
I think owning your emotions and behaviors is an extremely empowering way to journey through life. I did get angry after learning of the school district’s plan to reopen. I was reminded that I am indeed Wonder Twin and capable of the moves. Even though we are not in the Justice League we are all superheroes with the ability to help things, even the ugly things laced with negative emotions and indecision get sorted out.
So, I have been interrupted numerous times. I have my puppy at me feet and one of my interruptions was a coffee delivery, so I am well caffeinated. My wonder twin called to tell me she actually didn’t mean to call me. She meant to dial our mom (hmmm, was her interruption really an accident?). A little neighbor friend brought me two boxes of graham crackers so I could make smores later today. Doorbell again, a friend sent over someone to detail my car. My daughter came in to tell me she loves me, my son to tell me he’s home. And the final doorbell ring was four of the neighborhood kiddos coming to watch the Celtics game with one a neighbor boy who loves basketball. They would rather be outside jumping on the trampoline, but they know how much he loves the Celtics, so they all agreed to sit and watch the game with him. This seriously has happened all within an hour. I could not make this up. I did not know any of it was going to happen. And yes, most days pretty much look like this around here. I am not as productive as I could be because I choose to allow the interruptions. I love them all! I told you acts of kindness happen constantly throughout the day. You simply need to give more attention to the beautiful.
As a side note, I love the game of basketball. And in this house, we wear purple and yellow there is no green and white. I needed you to know this.
Okay, back to where I was going with all of this. Beauty, humanity, love, compassion and kindness are what is making it all more than okay. I worry, I think when we become parents our ability to worry is magnified to the point of making it a sport. Olympic level sport at that. So, please do not think I am trying to dismiss the severity of this moment. What I believe is our love and our capacity to reinvent and redefine who we are and where we choose to go is so much bigger than any one microscopic terror, one misguided leader or one evil act. We are light and when we choose to see this light in one another it is summer all year long.
If you take one thing from the words on this page, please let it be that you need summer. Go for a swim, a hike, sit on a blanket in the park with a book, jump in the ocean’s waves, collect seashells, lay on the grass and look up at the night sky, this beauty is for you. This beauty was put here to remind that you that the one blip of ugly is just that- a blip. You get to choose how you use your moments. You get to choose the beautiful interruptions. How are you going to define your days, with fear and hate or possibility and love? I will always choose love and always believe it is summer.
I am sending you a tremendous amount of love and light.
Kristin Asadourian is a leadership coach best known for activating the purpose and wisdom from within her clients. She understands the importance of authenticity and courage on the path to becoming inspired and mindful leaders. Kristin believes bold actions generated by energized leaders with compassionate and open-hearts bring change. She helps her clients create an action plan to move them into values based leadership, accomplishing their goals and living fulfilled.
Kristin’s coaching practice is strongly influenced by her work in the public sector as a Senior Field Deputy for the City of Los Angeles, founder of the not for profit Artists for Change, which brings arts education to elementary age children in Los Angeles and the documentary film company, Seeroon Productions. She formed the internationally recognized production company that produced the honored film “Beginning Where the Soviet Ends: A Study of Social Work in Armenia.” Her years as a television and documentary film producer also greatly impact her practice. Kristin learned by interviewing several celebrities during her tenure at E! Entertainment Television that people, famous and not so famous are motivated to generate a positive impact on their communities. A natural speaker and storyteller, she uses her experiences to generate connection and laughter while guiding her audiences to become the leaders and changemakers within them.
Kristin leads workshops for adults and young people along with webinars and live talks. Her curriculum focuses on developing the whole person by building self-awareness and self-confidence. She is currently teaching her BECOME (Bold, Energize, Compassionate, Open-hearted, Mindful, Education) curriculum in Massachusetts and looks forward to growing its reach.
Kristin earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology and multicultural relations from the University of Connecticut and master’s degree in social work from the University of Connecticut School of Social Work. She received her co-active life coaching credential from the Coaches Training Institute and continues to be an active learner in order to be a better coach, mom and human.