Straddling Time

E147: Rest & Recap 21 - Stopping to question "What Next?"

TL;DR:

Packing the suitcase. Hitting the road again.

• Rest element - My world is morphing. How do we adjust to changes in our lives?

• Recap: Editions 106-112 I was surprised by the strong thread discussing AI.

Welcome to "Rest & Recap". We will be in the middle of Rest Cycle 19 in March 2024 before I lovingly cuddle my ergonomic keyboard.

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Wow! That hits like a punch in the guts. It is the last bit of writing on my desktop. Edition 113 State of Flux all of 34 weeks ago. When my 2023 calendar was still on my wall. And my mother was still alive. Life, since then, has been both exhilarating and tumultuous.

But let’s get back to basics. TL;DR on R&R cycle 21:

(un)Packing the suitcase. Hitting the road again. Hoping to stay put for a while.

• Rest element - My world is morphing. How do we adjust to changes in our lives? (stet)

• Recap: Editions 141-146 Actively embracing stillness so that we can hear what is next. Looking for Legacy.

For the new subscribers joining since Rest Edition 15 E105, welcome to the concept of the"Rest & Recap" editions. The Rest editions offer a break - like baseball’s 7th-inning stretch. It's a chance to consolidate and stretch our learning (a 21st-century skill). We uncover unexpected synergies over the past six weeks of essays, and explore how they build on previous editions. (This comes from the "Colosseum of Ideas" concept in Write of Passage.)

We also zoom out, look at the bigger picture, take a breath, and rest. We explore rest-related practices (heirloom skills) such as good sleep, pacing, and recharging. Enjoy this summary “THE ONE WHERE… Rest Edition Recap” .

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Rest element 21: It is OK to stop when MY WORLD IS MORPHING

I am stepping away from my home office for a while. This is going to be slightly different from the other travels I have done. I head over to London this weekend and then accompany my mother to Goa, India for a few months - from the green blob on the left to that triangle of yellow in the right hemisphere on this olde world map. (E113 - State of Flux)

I wonder what I would have written if I was aware of what lay ahead for me and how dramatically my life would change.

CHANGING ROLES

And here I am. Once again in a state of flux. I find myself re-using the same subtitles written 34 weeks ago. I’m exploring my place as a sister, a niece, a cousin, a mother of grown’n flowns, while dealing with the gaping space that comes with being an orphan. I see a few meditation and journal sessions ahead for me amid the necessary paperwork.

While all six siblings were gathered in London this past week, we tried to recreate some childhood memories. A notable one was a full family visit to stand on the Prime Meridian in Greenwich. “Straddling time.” Apropos for how I am feeling these days.

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Recap: Digest of issues 141 - 146

As you scan the past letters, how did you connect the dots? Did any of the issues change the way you view your everyday?

Rest, Transitions and Negative Space - 21st-CENTURY SKILLS

In these first four editions, I found myself exploring the theme of proactive rest. I know I tout it often. We have discussed sleep. And pacing. And preempting burnout. And transitioning from one known thing to another. But you know what? Navigating negative space is a challenge. It is darn hard to slow down and be still long enough to listen for what could come next! Kuddos to all of you who have this figured out.

• E141: Slowing Down to the Speed of Sketching - I discovered the joy of sketching in Zaragoza. R-e-a-l-l-y slowing down. As I slowed down to count the turrets on the palace, the curves in the arches, the number of arrows in the sheaf, I noticed my breathing change.

  Mak
  : I've done drawing on a few of my trips. It is one of the best ways to force you slow down and focus on details you would have otherwise missed. (Thank you for recommending

• E142: Bubbles and Splash! - Explores what we do with all the time that past generations “saved” us by coming up with new technologies. While indulging in the walk-ability and history of European cities, I was able to notice the joy in adults and children alike, and the way they didn’t feel compelled to rush.

  Dan McGuire
  : I love reading entries like these, not only because you call out the gift of time we often take for granted, but also because of your eye for detail and how you always, always radiate gratitude. Thank you for these posts - they make a difference.
  Brooke Smith
  : Thank you for this reminder to walk more often — to connect with the earth, the history, the people… and myself!

• E143: The Uncommon Advantage of Doing Nothing - I admit to being a little out of my depth as I attempt meditating in order to uncover what my next step could and should be. Difficult techniques. Unfamiliar life journey. Not good with negative space. But the caring for others, and the forced slow down has an advantage. It highlights big decisions and questions in bold, so they stand out from my everyday. I’m still searching. It includes links to three readers’ essays on the topic of doing nothing.

  I was particularly grateful for the response from our Tribe - particularly GenZ members - as I continue to test my hand and work this meditation muscle:

  Leo Ariel
  : "It's not a question of getting the opportunities, it's a question of noticing that opportunities are there." ~ John Sexton
  Linart Seprioto
  : For meditation, I personally enjoyed two: (1) Balance, and (2) Waking Up by Sam Harris.

• E144: Epochs of Ecosystems - I explored Maya Angelou’s poem “On the Pulse of Morning”. And her invitation to stillness and listening to the history of nature. I tip toe into understanding time horizons. Does Mother Earth think in terms of decades and centuries, or civilizations and epochs?

  Eric Ho
  : Such presence and grounding as Maya reads out her poem.

21st-CENTURY SKILLS and LEGACY CONVERSATIONS:

There was another undercurrent. I’d interpret it as an exploration of legacy and taking the long view on results. Juxtaposed with the realization that we should not take time with our loved ones for granted. This is a timely and important conversation. The industrial era rewarded immediate productivity and “Just in Time”. This mindset is playing havoc as we shift into a knowledge economy. Mentoring and ideas — like cathedrals and castles — take time to take form and have impact. In direct contradiction to what our Industrial Era selves were raised to do.¹

Joann

: What a beautiful tribute to your sister, Auntie Shanny! Love the description of her ability to listen deeply to little-uns and to hear their dreams.

James Bailey

: … as Alissa says “magic in rock”. All three magnificent embodiments of your mothers. As am I. I plan to tell my mom that she’s magic in rock when I see her next week. She’s still living but 98% gone, with Alzheimer’s.

Inspired by this post, many people have sent me photos of them with their mothers this past week. And

Rick Lewis

’ comment about his mother’s book led me to her website https://www.smilingatstrangers.net/ Well worth the visit!

My cycle of seven explores synergies over the past six weeks of essays. This comes from the "Colosseum of Ideas" concept in Write of Passage. Normally, they’d fall under these three themes:

• Raising Future-Ready Leaders, including a look at 21st-century skills

• Impact of the Future of Work over the next decade

• Exploring empowering conversations on Climate

What would you like to explore next?

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STEP AWAY FROM THE KEYBOARD

We have to be willing to step away from our desks and our keyboards and search for that white space and introspection that allows new ideas to bubble to the surface.

It also allows us to meet the people who populate our inbox in person. I had the joy of meeting quite a few Tribe Tilt members over these past six weeks. Apologies to Tony (London) and Lucia (Madrid) where we could not connect in person.

Thank you to L-R:

Eric Ho

(Effortless Thursdays),

Charlotte Crowther

(creator of the Snapshot used by many cohort classes),

Harrison Moore

(The New Workday),

Anna Kogan Nasser

(WuWeiParent) and

Alissa Mears

(Pitching a Tent without Poles) for making time in their busy schedules to meet the non-zoom-size me and share engaging conversation and delicious nibbles.

Influenced by revisiting my life in print over the past 34 weeks and a prompt from Harrison on

The New Workday

here is a challenge: Do a Personal Retro. List your skills, struggles, successes, paradigm shifts, people you have met and more. What did you discover?

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Poll time

Everyone is talking elections this week. So I’ll jump on that bandwagon.

I tested some new features during this past R&R Cycle 21. Which appealed to you? Which did you find interesting? Which should I continue?

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Tribe Tilt welcomes our many new members, including one each from PE (Peru), PT (Portugal), PK (Pakistan) and PH (Philippines) since the last time I checked. I love this global perspective! Thank you for joining with your curiosity which we welcome.

This small and supportive community believes in the best of humanity - connecting people, sharing ideas, and exploring thoughts respectfully. We believe we can make a difference to the people and places that are precious to us. And that the best idea can come from anyone, anywhere, at any time.

Did you like the concept that every 7th edition is a Rest edition? These compendiums make a great issue if you would like to share the newsletter with others.

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Stay healthy. From there all else becomes possible.
See you next week.
Karena

Dateline: Oakville, Canada

1. A thought echoed in Ozan Varol’s recent post You are Doing Better Than You Think