The sun is shining, people are getting vaccinated, and God is still good. Even if the restrictions are still in place, we have a lot for which to be thankful. So let your gratitude shine, as difficult as it may seem right now!
Flourishing is an interesting word. Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist, has used the term ‘languishing’ for the current state of affairs for so many people. We might say, not quite burnout, but not excited about life. Another way to look at the current state of affairs for many is simply, weary. Tired of restrictions, of being socially restricted, of not seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. Languishing seems like the polar opposite to flourishing. If you want to read more about my thoughts on burnout, here’s the post: https://leadfreely.ca/2021/05/11/burnout-with-a-side-of-hope/
Are you languishing or flourishing? It is another take on the whole discussion of burnout, but it is about how we are dealing with the slow burn of basic living in a pandemic. When we talk about flourishing, many of us actually mean the actual opposite of what it means. We want to be static. Unchanging. Keep the status quo. Normal.
Not depressed, but not flourishing: How ‘languishing’ became the dominant feeling of 2021
https://nationalpost.com/health/how-languishing-became-the-dominant-feeling-of-2021
But those are all references to stagnation. In cell growth and development we refer to stagnation as part of the death phase of an organism. The place of becoming mature, seeking excitement in purpose and passion, is not a plateau where we remain waiting for death. A plant, a flower, a tree, the very cells in your body, continue growing and producing as a sign of life. Flourishing is exactly this phenomenon. We grow, we change, we learn, we develop, even if we think we are sitting in the exact same spot we started.
What keeps us on the line between languishing and flourishing? Sometimes it is just a matter of perspective and a change of view may be in order. I offer coaching and training for this exact thing, and you can be reminded of my offer to use or pass along right here: https://leadfreely.ca/2021/05/22/invest-in-your-personal-development-even-during-a-pandemic/
Flourishing is not an easy choice, even in the best of situations. But it is a choice we all have to make to keep from languishing. We live in and understand our current place, but we know there is more…change, growth, conflict, hope, despair, celebration…and learn to flourish.
Let me know if I can help you or your team flourish.
Lead Freely 