A LIST FOR RIGHT NOW
How are you doing?
It has been an unfathomable couple of weeks in the United States.
How did we get here, and how did it begin?
Within Expansive Impact, we explore the ideas of Leading in the Moments and Taking Conscious Action.
In the spirit of these two things, and in light of what is happening right now (and what continues to happen), here is a list of small but impactful things that we can do—perhaps today or even right now, to practice care and compassion toward ourselves, and toward others. I hope that the list feels supportive to you in some small way.
Pause.
Put on a soothing playlist.
Do a mini meditation.
Pause to watch the birds.
Practice a moment of gratitude.
Blend up a healthy smoothie, and take a moment to enjoy it.
Set an intention for the day.
Place your hand on your heart and breathe.
Pause to connect to your values. Pick one to honor today through your actions and words.
Read & Listen.
Read and listen to credible and balanced news in order to understand how different groups of people are talking about these tragedies. All Sides, The Week, and Breaking Points are a few options to start with.
Consider talking to different types of people with different opinions and perspectives about possible solutions. How can we co-create something different moving forward? Related: has anyone found a compelling writer, thought leader, thinker, or source who is researching and digging into not just one element of these tragedies but the combination of all of the factors at play?
Understand the gun laws and the statistics specific to where you live.
Practice Care and Compassion.
Do a Yellow Light Meditation.
Call someone we haven’t talked to in awhile.
Pay attention to subtle signs of people in our lives who might not be okay. Reach out. Check in.
Take a meal or a batch of cookies to a friend or a neighbor (a current favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe can be found in this cookbook…)
Send Pup Talk to someone who could use a smile. It’s a way to receive a pep talk…from a dog. (252) PUP-TALK. Perhaps you can order the card deck, as well.
Practice empathy. Remember that we don't always know what others are carrying in their metaphorical backpacks.
Lead.
Check in with team members today. How are they doing?
Talk with the parents on your team. How are they doing? How are their kids?
Consider sharing out a link to your employee resource program and other related resources for team members in case anyone is looking for support and might not know where to look.
Start your upcoming zoom meeting with an overall check-in. What is in the space?
End one meeting ten minutes early today, in order to give everyone a bit of space and breathing room.
Share one piece of positive, specific feedback for a job well done.
Take Action.
Consider some of the ideas within this post on How to Create From What’s Happening When We Don’t Know What’s Happening.
Donate to Victims First.
Support one of the fundraisers supporting victims in Uvalde or in Buffalo.
Reach out to a representative. Consider ways to get involved with the causes we care about within our own communities.
Connect to your inner joy. Nurture this, cultivate this, and share this with others. Our world needs it.
What else would you add to the list?
