Standing firm
April 9, 2009 by admin
Filed under Be Inspired
“How are you?” was once a casual conversation starter.
Now we lean in, make eye contact, and ask “How are you?” to invite a deeper discussion about work, mortgages, investment accounts and emotional well-being.
When the economy cracked, it sent us tumbling. As a result, there’s a new openness and solidarity, as together we learn how to roll with it.
While some feel wary and stuck wondering if we’ve hit bottom, others are gaining a calm power by stepping into pragmatic choices. These women are eating out less, canceling housekeeping services, shopping only for what they need, and trading services. Many have initiated the “What Exactly Is Our Situation” talk with their partners. These conversations are hard, but when conducted with respect and common goals, couples find relief by facing the unknown. They also enjoy greater connection and are energized by a common plan.
Professionally, we’re drawing on creativity and hard work to stabilize the ground under our feet.
Kate LaCroix, founder of Boulder-based Dish Publicity, created “dishwire,” which bridges the gap between her clients’ slimming publicity budgets and the media’s staff cutbacks.
Kathy Klatman, of Gunbarrel, mapped out the steps needed to meet the big-picture goals of Resonant Communications, her search engine marketing consultancy. This level of detail helps Kathy “commit the time required to get where I want to be,” she says.
Corporate women are relying on their resourcefulness as well — expanding internal and external networks, working with coaches, keeping current with industry trends, and taking on challenges that will help them grow. For Boulder product manager Julia Bright, making “a good impression and achieving measurable results” is a top priority.
To sustain such high levels of engagement, we must take care of ourselves. It’s more important than ever to exercise, get enough sleep, eat well and recharge with alone time. When cutting back, find ways to make decisions that don’t excise the things you love. For example, girls’ night out could become a book-club evening, scrapbooking party or potluck dinner. Other women consciously limit exposure to news programs that stir their anxiety. Jennie Arbogash, of the Boulder Community Foundation, highlights the importance of spending time with friends and family “as a means of perspective, laughter and support.”
Stress may be high, but so is resilience, connection and innovation.
As Kate LaCroix put it, the way ahead lies in “staying on the side of the solution rather than hanging out in the potential problem.”
O’Keeffe, the founder of Insight Edge LLC, is a Boulder-based coach, facilitator and writer. Contact her at cindy@whatsyouredge.com.
