Simple Rules Foundation

It may be just me, but I find wherever I go and whatever I do, I am bumping into short lists of simple rules. For example, I was recently having a conversation with a close colleague about the joys and trials of holiday time. (Are you still getting over Thanksgiving, too?) As with any choices we make, personally or professionally, there are tradeoffs. And so within the space of enjoying a good cup of tea we came up with a set of simple rules for managing holiday stress. The subtext here is, of course, the choices we make: who we are, what is important, and how we want to connect with others.

So these may not work for you, but as with anything, they present a place to start. What do you think?

–  Control your calendar. The choices you make and the priorities you identify help you manage your time and options in large and small ways.

–  Plan ahead. Whenever you can, be proactive. This is a luxury we often overlook.

–  Mind your body. Enjoy and pay attention to both your wants and needs. If you do not take care of yourself, you will not be able to take care of much else.

–  Relax amidst the chaos. Consciously push pause, take a breath, refresh and renew. Then dive back in.

–  Count your blessings. Everyday recognize and appreciate and give thanks what matters most.

 

 

 

My great aunt kept a large hat by the front door, for company.

Whenever the doorbell rang, she quickly donned the hat before opening to see who it was.  If her visitor was someone she did not want to visit with she would tell them she was just putting on her hat and coat to go out, and so they couldn’t stay.  “Perhaps another time?” she’d say wistfully, with the right tone of regret and doubt.

If her visitor was someone she would enjoy visiting with she would tell them that she had arrived home moments before, and was just taking off her hat.  “Won’t you come in?” she’d say with a broad smile.

What a simple solution to a bothersome problem!

 

Simple Rules for answering the door:

• Look through the peephole with an open mind and open heart.
• Be prepared for what is waiting for you on the other side.
• Create a welcoming space.
• Appreciate the view from other perspectives.
• Don’t walk around in your pajamas past 10 a.m.

Contributed by Connie, Watertown, MA.

 

 

 

We have all known the feeling of just floating along, moved by nothing more than what needs to get done today or what decisions we made yesterday.  Each of us at times has felt a certain loss of commitment and connection, that combination of enthusiasm and seriousness that is associated with purpose.  There have also been times when we feel we don’t know what we’re doing and the rapidness of change in our world has left a void.

So how does one find purpose amidst non-stop competing demands and challenges?  And what is so important about purpose anyway?

Purpose lies at the turning point between being alone and being with others, reflection and action, being and becoming.  Purpose, whether for us as individuals or as part of an organization or community, is a repository for the meaning we bring to what we do.  To have purpose, one must declare one’s intentions.  To live with purpose, we must have a destination that is outside ourselves.  Purpose, in fact, runs like a thread through all aspects of our lives; it is not even a conscious process though we all know that searching for meaning can be daunting, discouraging, and just plain hard.

I’ve come to the conclusion that purpose is elusive because it needs to be.  We might wish that once we have “achieved a purpose” we could forget about it and get on with our day-to-day obligations and tasks.  But purpose is also a container for our yearnings, a sail trying to hold the shifting winds of expectations, needs, dreams, and hopes.  The intangible nature of purpose encourages us to remain in conversation with neighbors, to be more tolerant of ambiguity, and less judgmental of others and ourselves.

Purpose is dependent upon a collective state of mind; strong relationships among members; unity and trust; a sense of urgency; interdependence; competence and creativity; steadfastness; leadership throughout the ranks, and most importantly, understanding that WE are the organization and community at large.

It is the pattern we each build and sustain to support and explain who we are, how we connect with others, and what is important in our lives.

 

 

 

For more than 100 years, here in the U.S. we have celebrated Labor Day, the first Monday in September.  This annual tribute is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers and recognizes the many contributions workers have made to our country.

The first Labor Day holiday was observed in New York City in 1882, in accordance with the guidelines of the Central Labor Union.  While so much has changed in the world of work, as well local and global economies, traditional time-honored holiday activities continue:  parades, speeches, festivals for the “recreation and amusement of the workers and their families,” and picnics.

One of my favorite images of Labor Day is set in Independence, Kansas, where Flo Owens, a middle-aged widow lives with her two daughters and a spinster boarder.  When drifter Hal Carter arrives in time for the town’s Labor Day celebration, the women’s lives are disrupted and transformed.  I am, of course, talking about William Inge’s Pulitzer Prize winning play, Picnic. 

While a touching snapshot of small-town life, Picnic is the story of a stranger who breezes into town and unwittingly and unexpectedly becomes a catalyst for change.  Familiar, long-held patterns suffer a seismic shift. Everyday lives are stirred up and long-suppressed feelings of bitterness and resentment emerge.  But it is also about awakening passion, fighting for your dreams, glimpsing the possibilities, and feeling a tug in your throat.

It seems to me that we’re pretty stirred up right about now, too.  Putting aside election hullabaloos, we scramble to get in that last outdoor summer adventure; we dash from one back-to-school sale to another; and we begin to plan for Homecoming and Halloween.  (Pay no attention to that sign that says “Only 114 shopping days left til Christmas.”)

In addition, commuter traffic is back to normal, lunch rooms and coffee shop lines are once again crowded, and school buses are back to their neighborhood pick-ups.  At work, performance reviews are approaching, trainings schedules are filling up, final grant reports are due, and fiscal years are both ending and beginning.  And our fall/winter To-Do lists are growing at an alarming rate!

Of course Labor Day is not the end of the summer; that happens several weeks later with the Autumnal Equinox.  It just feels like it.  As we once again settle into routines and behind our desks recalling fond vacation memories, we may want to also think about our daily labor in terms of connections, coherence, and change.

Let’s take advantage of the shifting light, the changing colors and the varying winds.  Let’s look forward to disruption in our routines, welcome new challenges and seek out opportunities for excellence and growth.  Let’s recognize and appreciate the contributions of others, as well as our own.  Let’s remain clear about who we are, what is really important, and how we want to connect with others.

Let’s remember our Simple Rules.